


Under the Mistletoe

by JuliaBC



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multiple Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 12:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 40,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5707912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaBC/pseuds/JuliaBC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one shots for the days leading up to Christmas AND those after it. All of December. Each chapter will have a different BAU pairing, all centered with the theme of kisses under the mistletoe. Fluff to the max. Slash, femslash, hetero pairings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. HotchxReid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Reid
> 
> Date: December 1, 2005
> 
> Song: Under the Mistletoe by Justin Bieber.

 

* * *

Reid wasn't sure what possessed him to go out and buy the mistletoe that December 1, 2005. All he knew was that he was passing by a novelty store on his way to work and there was a sign outside that beckoned to him, saying that there was mistletoe for sale.

Mistletoe.

It conjured up images of secret, and not-so-secret, kisses. It conjured images of laughing couples and blushing girls as their boyfriends wrestled them into PDA.

Mistletoe wasn't for Reid, he knew that, as he stared with longing at the sign. And he went inside, purchased a sprig and left the shop in a hurry, as if afraid to be seen there.

* * *

This was his first Christmas with the BAU and he had no idea what to expect. Would there be no mention of the holiday? Or would there be mention of only Happy Holidays, as not everyone was Christian there?

The Christmas season was something that Reid had a love/hate relationship with. He loved it because it still somehow managed to bring the illusion of peace on earth and goodwill towards men with it. People were happier, or they pretended to be.

He hated it because he himself had never had a happy Christmas, and definitely not a merry one.

But he loved how everyone got a little more kind at the end of the year, as if making up for the past year's mistakes and insults and hate speech. Even if it was put-on, just pretend, even if everyone would become a serial killer again on December 26...this season brought the illusion of peace.

And Reid loved it.

* * *

Reid wasn't sure what possessed him to go in early that day and hang the mistletoe in the doorway of the BAU. He wasn't sure why he waited, standing underneath it and reading a book so that people who were distracted and wouldn't notice the mistletoe would think that Reid had just gotten absorbed in a book and stayed in the doorway. Hey, it happened.

Gideon arrived first and Reid was instantly surprised. Surely it would be Hotch!

But no.

Gideon walked out of the elevator looking tired and grumpy, like he'd stayed up all night pondering the mysteries of the universe...

Reid knew how he felt. He'd woken up feeling like that all too many times.

Gideon's face brightened to see Reid standing there, and then he paused, standing back to get the full affect.

"Wait a minute...are you standing under the mistletoe?"

"Yes, I am," Reid said, clearing his throat.

Gideon nodded, smiling. "Who are you waiting for?"

The question caught Reid. He wanted to answer with something flippant; he wanted to say that he was just trying to catch anyone that passed.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully.

"Do you welcome kisses from anyone?" Gideon chuckled.

"Sure," Reid said and Gideon lay a fatherly kiss on his forehead.

"It's too bad that kissing has become so sexualized recently," he said as he did so. "Merry Christmas, Spencer."

Reid smiled in return.

* * *

The day went on. Garcia came stumbling out of the elevator soon after, looking like she'd just woken up. Hotch was with her, talking in fast, low tones. They both blinked to see Reid there, doing a double take before Garcia barrelled forward and planted a kiss on Reid's mouth.

It was a sweet kiss, a good kiss. Reid returned it in kind, matching her enthusiasm until Garcia drew back, a wide smile on her lips.

"You made my whole day, Reid," she whispered, taking out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth off.

Hotch watched the whole exchange in amusement before shaking his head as Garcia dashed back to his side.

"Are you trying to be a distraction?" He asked Reid with light amusement, showing that he wasn't bothered by what the young genius had decided to do.

Reid shrugged, lifting his shoulders in a light motion.

Hotch watched it with a light in his eyes. For a moment, Reid thought Hotch would approach but then he turned and left with Garcia, both going to her computer lab.

Business as usual.

* * *

Elle was next, stepping out of the elevator with a cup of coffee that would put Reid's to shame. She takes another gulp upon seeing him, as if needing caffeine to wake her up and prove that she wasn't dreaming.

"What...are you doing?" She asked, her voice scolding.

"I'm waiting," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. He liked Elle, he really did. But sometimes she was so...strict.

"For what?" She asked again, voice flat. "Because I think the JJ boat has sailed."

Reid blushed. "It's not JJ," he said. "We went out, sure. But...it's over. And I find that that is okay."

Elle nodded. "Okay. Well then. Merry Christmas, Dr." She stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. When she pulled back, she laughed. "You have my lipstick there," she chuckled, digging around for something to wipe it off. "I don't think I have anything."

Reid almost said, _leave it there_ , but he thought of Morgan and changed his mind. It wouldn't be worth the hassle.

"I have a cleaning wipe," Reid said and hastily wiped off his cheek. Elle watched in amusement.

"Don't wipe off my kiss, too," she said teasingly and Reid halted.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You know, you kiss little kids, they wipe their face off and say they were just wiping off the slobber, not the kiss," Elle said and then shrugged. "Maybe you don't know."

She patted Reid on the shoulder and continued on.

* * *

Morgan had his arm slung around a pretty new agent as he stepped off, and the woman darted off in the opposite direction.

Morgan headed straight for Reid, not even noticing that the genius was in the doorway until he was face to face with him.

"What's this?" Morgan asked.

"Use your powers of observation," Reid replied.

Morgan looked up to see the mistletoe and he rolled his eyes. "Not gonna happen, pretty boy," he said. "Sorry, but you can't tempt me."

"I wasn't actually trying to," Reid said and Morgan smiled.

"Fair enough."

* * *

And then JJ. Pretty and perfect as usual. She stepped off the elevator in a tight skirt and a light colored shirt and stopped short when she saw Reid.

"This isn't a prank, right?" She asked, moving forward in a quick motion.

"No prank," Reid said.

"Okay," JJ answered. "Who else have you gotten today?"

"Gideon, Garcia and Elle," Reid replied.

JJ nodded. "Impressive. So you weren't just waiting for me."

Why did everyone think that?

"No," Reid said simply. "I wanted to celebrate the holidays differently this year, that's all."

"So this isn't something you've tried before in other places?" JJ asked. "How disappointing."

A smile on her face, she stepped forward again and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Happy holidays then," she said and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

* * *

Reid got to work after that. He sat at his desk and got through five case files before Hotch came through the set of glass doors, glancing around him.

Hotch's eyes met Reid's in a moment that paralyzed the young genius. It was almost like Hotch was asking him why he hadn't waited. Why Hotch hadn't been given a chance.

Reid opened his mouth to protest, to say that Hotch _had_ had a chance and he'd let it pass him by.

But then the Unit Chief turned and walked straight to his office and Reid wilted in his chair, feeling disappointment course through his veins.

Hotch was married. Reid had met Haley. He _liked_ Haley.

But he liked Hotch, too.

* * *

It was intuition, or a taste for danger that made Reid wait until almost all of the other agents had filtered from the bullpen that night.

"I'm going to get burned," Reid reminded himself. "Flat out refused."

But still, he walked to the door and rehung the mistletoe, pulled out his book and stood there, waiting for something to happen.

Hotch's office door opened maybe fifteen minutes later. The Unit Chief walked out, deep in thought. He didn't notice Reid, or maybe he did, because he didn't look up once.

And then Hotch was standing in front of him. Staring at him.

"There's mistletoe above me," Reid breathed.

"I noticed," Hotch said.

They stood there a moment longer.

"Are you going to take advantage of it?" Reid asked.

That was all Hotch needed. The older man almost lunged forward, his lips landed on Reid's in an electrifying moment that both of them felt.

Reid kissed him back. He matched each movement, and tried to ante up each time.

And then Hotch pulled back, his eyes dark and his breathing erratic.

"Merry Christmas," he said simply, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Merry Christmas," Reid returned and watched Hotch leave.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time...
> 
> Pairing: JJ/Emily.
> 
> Date: December 2, 2008 and December 2, 2015.
> 
> Song: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Luther Vandross.
> 
> A/N: Each of these little one shots will be entirely in its own universe. I am going to try to do one for each day of December until Christmas.


	2. EmilyxJJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: JJ/Emily
> 
> Date: December 2, 2008
> 
> Song: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Luther Vandross
> 
> No Henry or Will.

 

* * *

Emily was leaving the next day for a consult in Alabama.

JJ absorbed the information, leaning against the wall of the break room in the BAU and feeling the words sink into her.

"I probably won't spend Christmas in DC this year," Emily was adding as she spoke to Derek. "My mother wants me to fly out to join her. I wasn't going to, but now I might have to."

 _Why?_ JJ wondered. _Why would she now have to?_

"So you're going to be gone a lot this December," Derek said.

"Yeah, and I have no idea how long this consult will take," Emily sighed. "And then I have that prison thing..."

Her voice trailed off as she and Derek started to move away from where JJ was hiding.

After a moment, the blonde straightened from where she was pressed against the wall, hurried to her office and shut the door, trying to distract herself.

Why? Why was Emily going to be gone? Why did it have to _now_ of all times? Now, when JJ had _finally_ gotten up enough courage...she had been going to tell Emily this year.

Her gift for Emily, purchased yesterday, sat in her desk drawer. In a fit of bitterness, JJ ripped open the wrapping paper to reveal the lettering...

_Alcohol filled chocolate truffles._

JJ opened the box and took one at random, taking a bite of it with having no expectation of enjoying it...she just wanted to punish Emily.

But oh god. The flavor exploded on her tongue, almost making her moan and forget that Emily was leaving.

Bourbon. JJ loved bourbon. It was a guilty pleasure, carried over from high school days and the one party she'd gotten drunk at. Bourbon.

JJ checked the box again and discovered that there were three bourbon filled truffles in all. With disappointment she closed the box again, knowing that she wouldn't really enjoy any of the other flavors and that, if she ate the other two bourbon-filled now, she'd be sure to want them back again later.

So she would save them.

Even though they were Emily's Christmas present.

There was a knock on her office door and JJ almost jumped out of her skin. "Just a minute," she called, knowing that her panic showed in her tone of voice. Maybe it wouldn't around normal people, but with all the goddamn profilers who worked here...she'd never hear the end of it.

She shoved the box of chocolates back into the drawer and crumpled up the paper, shoving it into her trash can and moving the trash can more behind her desk than usual. Otherwise she'd get team members asking who'd she'd gotten a gift from and why she had already opened it.

She cleared her throat, taking a swig from her water bottle to clear the chocolate away, and she tasted the last remaining trace of bourbon as she did so.

"Come in," she finally called and Emily entered.

"Are you fucking someone in here?" Emily joked and JJ just froze.

"Pardon?"

"You took so long...sorry," Emily said. "I just thought you must be hiding something since it took you so long to let me in. I was joking," she continued.

"Whatever," JJ said. "I was just busy...had to finish something while I had the rhythm down, you know?"

"Otherwise you'd lose your place when you tried to get back to it," Emily agreed. "No, I understand."

JJ nodded. "What did you need?"

Emily looked at her hands, then at the pictures on the wall behind JJ. "You know, I'm not sure I ever asked who's in the pictures you have behind you."

She pointed to one of two blonde sisters. "One of those two has gotta be little JJ. Who's with you?"

"My sister," JJ said.

"You have a sister?" Emily exclaimed.

"Not anymore," JJ replied.

"Oh, sorry," Emily said, her usual exuberance toning down. "Um, JJ. So you know that I have a consult tomorrow."

"Yeah," JJ said.

"You do?" Emily asked. "I prefaced it with you know because I didn't think...I've only told Morgan what Hotch said."

JJ seized onto the lifeline Emily offered her. "Hotch told me."

"But Hotch was asking me if I'd take it just ten minutes ago, and that I was the first he'd asked, " Emily said, confusion showing. "Wait, what just happened here?"

Emily was obviously working backwards through the conversation. JJ felt a slow feeling of dread creep up her body.

"But...if you were just blindly agreeing...why would you say Hotch had told you?" Emily finally said.

"I heard you telling Derek," JJ bit out.

"Okay, never mind," Emily managed, staring at JJ. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," JJ said. "I just got some bad news."

"Ohmygod, what?" Emily asked, edging closer on her chair.

JJ cursed and blessed, at the same time, the desk that separated them.

"Nothing," JJ said. "What did you need?"

"I was going to ask you to water my plants," Emily said.

"Of course I can," JJ said. "When do you want me there?"

Emily looked again taken aback by JJ's brusqueness. "God. I mean. I'm leaving early tomorrow, so tomorrow, and however many days before I get back. And just after work is fine. They don't need to be watered more than once a day."

"Okay," JJ agreed.

Emily hesitated but drew a key out of her pocket.

When JJ took it, it was still warm from Emily's body heat and she inhaled sharply, not believing how much she was overreacting.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, her voice worried. "Did I stab it into you?"

"I'm fine!" JJ insisted and Emily backed off.

"Okay, okay," she said, unhappiness showing in her voice. "Um. I'll leave you to it, then."

"Thank you," JJ called after her.

When Emily had gone, JJ got the box of chocolate back out and took the first she saw, almost gagging at the taste. Vodka. She hated vodka.

* * *

JJ had watered Emily's plants for three days. On the fourth day, she walked into Emily's apartment holding a new box of candy.

"I couldn't face doing this again without fortifications," she spoke aloud to the empty apartment, empty but for the furniture and copious amounts of house plants, and a few Christmas decorations, including sprigs of mistletoe over all the doorways. JJ wondered morosely who Emily kissed, and also wondered who she was speaking to. "The plants, of course! I'm speaking to the plants."

She almost growled the words as she grabbed the cup Emily had left out for her to use the first day and filled it to the brim, going around from plant to plant and giving them their allotted portion. She had been surprised, that first day, to see that Emily had left little notes at each plant saying how much each needed.

At the third plant, (why did Emily have so many freaking plants?) JJ opened the box of bourbon imbued chocolates she'd found after walking all around DC for the right chocolatier.

She opened the box and sat in the middle of Emily's floor, popping one into her mouth and sighing, both in frustration and in ecstasy.

"I don't usually like chocolate," she addressed the bonsai tree to her left. "But with bourbon...I like anything."

JJ heard a creak and, assuming it was the person upstairs walking around, kept talking.

"I wanted to tell Emily, you know," she told the bonsai tree again. "I was going to tell her everything, confess how sad and angry I was to learn that she wasn't going to be here this Christmas."

She heard another creak and took another chocolate.

"Why?" She asked the bonsai tree. "Because I..."

"Um, JJ, maybe you should stop there before you confess to the tree," Emily's voice said, soft and way too close to JJ.

She was so surprised she was almost _too_ surprised to react.

"I got back early," Emily said. "I was going to tell you that you didn't need to come but I took a shower instead."

JJ opened her mouth, shocked beyond reason.

Emily was backing away a bit. "I got you a present," she said.

JJ jumped to her feet, running to the doorway. She had been watering the plants long enough to know what was there.

"What are you doing?" Emily cried, running after her and catching her by the wrist. "JJ, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes," JJ managed to say. "But I needed to be here to gather my courage."

"Where? What do you mean?" Emily said.

"You put mistletoe up," JJ said.

Emily inhaled.

JJ jumped. Not literally.

She leaned forward and kissed Emily, trying to convey what she was too afraid, and too tired of being afraid, to say.

And, miracle of miracles, Emily kissed her back. "You taste like bourbon," she marvelled.

JJ could only nod.

* * *

**December 2, 2015.**

JJ walked into the BAU, feeling depressed and alone. She was just a few weeks until her due date, and Emily had left.

She'd left JJ, begging off a leisurely December.

"It's only the second," Emily had told JJ. "I'll be back before you know it. It's not even strictly Christmas yet."

"So?" JJ asked her wife. "So?"

Emily lay her hand on JJ's belly. "I'll be back before it happens," she promised. "I just need to do this one consult."

JJ knew, in her heart of hearts, that she was lucky that Emily had stayed in the States after quitting three and a half years ago. She was just lucky that Emily had taken a place with Interpol, yes, as Clyde had asked her to, but in America. Just a car ride away from Quantico.

And then, not even that. They'd moved in together, after everything that had happened in the bank, and, earlier this year, JJ had gotten pregnant. It was an anonymous donor, but JJ and Emily flat out didn't care. Their baby was going to be their baby.

And, after all of that, they'd gotten married with the decision of the supreme court. JJ had never seen her wife so happy.

Now Emily was the one to take long car rides, to and from work. JJ kept up with the BAU and they both, quite simply, made it work, through good times and bad. Through Doyle, and Askari...and last January.

JJ shivered to remember that dark day, when she'd lost sight of herself. When her scars had risen up to bite her.

They had decided, after that, that they would try to get pregnant.

It had worked, miraculously. All the paperwork had gone by remarkably quickly and then JJ was able to tell Emily that she was expecting. That they were expecting.

And now it was December and Emily was gone.

"I'll be home for Christmas," she insisted. "I won't even be gone for the whole week."

JJ just shook her head and left for work alone. Lately Emily had taken to driving her in before going to the Interpol offices. Not today.

Reid was the first person JJ saw upon entering the BAU, and Reid immediately noticed how she felt.

"Emily's gone," Reid said, studying JJ carefully.

"Yeah," JJ said. "She had some _thing_ she needed to do."

"You're taking it hard," Reid said, tipping his head.

"Hell yes, I am," JJ bit out and walked to her office, trying to not slam the door behind her.

She couldn't take this. It was too much. January was getting too close and JJ was remembering too much.

Particularly how Askari had appeared to her, right in this office. How they had talked. How she still wasn't sure if she'd successfully exorcised him.

She didn't want to be alone. She was nine months pregnant, for God's sake! You didn't leave pregnant women alone!

You didn't leave your wife, your lover alone when _you_ were the one person who should have noticed how hard she was taking everything.

* * *

Garcia drove JJ home and JJ barely spoke the whole way, until they were in downtown DC and passing a shop.

"Stop!" JJ said.

"Huh?" Garcia exclaimed but pulled over immediately. "What, JJ?"

"I want to buy something here," JJ whispered and got out of the car as gracefully as she could, what with her protruding stomach.

"Let me help you," Garcia exclaimed, fumbling with her seat belt but JJ was already out of the car, walking towards the store with a one minded purpose.

"Chocolatier?" Garcia read, scrambling after JJ. "Early Christmas shopping?"

"Something like that," JJ replied and charged inside, bought a two pound box of bourbon truffles and left with them clutched in her hand.

"Um, isn't alcohol bad for baby?" Garcia asked.

"I had a very extensive conversation with Reid about it," JJ replied. "In small doses, especially with other food, it's fine."

"That's not a small dose," Garcia said quietly.

JJ just shrugged, looked out the window at the DC traffic and turned back to her friend. "Are we going?"

Garcia nodded and they pulled away from the curb.

"Are you doing okay?" Garcia asked. "Are these pregnancy hormones or a bit more than that?"

"Emily left, even though I asked her not to," JJ said simply and Garcia was silent for the rest of the ride.

* * *

When JJ walked into the apartment she shared with Emily, she didn't notice the subtle changes around it.

She headed straight for the bedroom and settled onto the bed and comfortably as she could, opening the box of chocolates and sighing as she ate the first one.

How did she come back to this?

She moved to lie on her back and stared up at the ceiling, before startling.

That wasn't there this morning.

There was a sprig of mistletoe, attached to the ceiling fan. JJ reached, with a disbelieving hand, to grab for it.

"I didn't go."

JJ sat up, tears already in her eyes.

Emily stood there and she almost ran to JJ. "I'm sorry," she whispered, bringing JJ into her arms and holding her close. "I shouldn't have left."

"Did you put the mistletoe up?" JJ asked, tears running over.

"Yeah," Emily whispered.

"Then follow tradition and kiss me!" JJ whispered back and Emily did as asked.

"I didn't know how much you didn't want me to go but I should have," Emily said, when they had parted. "You taste like bourbon, Jayje. Isn't alcohol bad for the baby?"

"Not this alcohol," JJ replied and kissed Emily again.

Askari faded to memory in JJ's mind. Last January suddenly didn't matter anymore.

Emily was here. Emily would be here for Christmas. That was all JJ needed to make her season bright again.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Morgan/Garcia
> 
> Date: December 3, 2010
> 
> Song: Mistletoe by Lucy Hale


	3. Morgan/Garcia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Derek/Penelope
> 
> Date: December 3, 2010
> 
> Song: Mistletoe by Lucy Hale
> 
> A/N: This song is about how it is too cold to go outside and how she just hopes she doesn't run out of mistletoe. Give it a listen!
> 
> Let us assume that, for the sake of this story, Kevin and Penelope are on the outs and he is not currently part of her life.

 

* * *

Derek stood at the window of Penelope's apartment, watching the snow come down. The flakes were large and lazy, easily and quickly coating the cars on the street down below.

"It's, like, ten below zero," Penelope said, coming back into the living room, rubbing her arms. "I really wish my heater would kick in."

"Baby Girl, it will," Derek assured her. "I'm the one who fixed it, remember?"

She shivered. "Thank you for that." Clutching her arms around her, she moved to grab an afghan off of her couch. "I'm going to freeze while I wait for that."

"Surely it's not as bad as that," Derek said, moving to join her as she sat on the couch. He settled in next to her. "I can't believe you've already decorated your apartment for Christmas. This is almost ridiculous, Baby Girl. You've got stockings by the fireplace, and tinsel everywhere, and your tree is just insane."

"Don't forget the mistletoe," Penelope chirped, snuggling into her blanket more.

"Yeah, and mistletoe over every doorway!" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you have some dastardly plan involving said mistletoe?"

Penelope laughed. "Oh, you should be so lucky, chocolate one." She looked around the room. "It's beautiful," she said in contentment. "Speaking of, shouldn't you be leaving again?"

"Hmm?" Derek asked. "Baby Girl, are you trying to kick me out?"

"No, but the snow will only get heavier," Penelope said. "If you are going to leave for the night, you should do it soon."

Derek considered that as Penelope pulled the blanket even tighter around her.

"Maybe you're right," he said and stood up. "We'll have an early morning tomorrow."

"Yeah," Penelope whispered and followed him to the door rather reluctantly. "Bye then."

"Good night, Baby Girl," he returned, pulled his coat on and left. She watched him walk down the corridors before sighing and going back to the couch.

Of course Derek wasn't planning on staying.

Of course he left when she suggested it. It was way too much to hope that he might stay. Just this once.

A few minutes later, her apartment buzzer sounded. Surprised, she hurried over to the box.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Baby Girl."

His voice echoing through the line made her shiver. "But...you just left."

"My car won't start and it's too damn cold to stay out here trying to fix it," he said. "Let me in?"

"Are you asking a lady if she will let you spend the night?"

She heard him breathe for a minute.

"I'm asking my Baby Girl."

The words were deep, gravelly. She had never heard his voice sound quite so possessive. His Baby Girl.

"Come on in," she said and pressed the button.

Opening her apartment door, she leaned against the doorway until Derek came jogging upstairs, looking cold and shivered.

"Damn," he said. "Thanks for letting me in."

"I told you it was cold," she said, moving out of the doorway to let him pass her.

"Yeah, and it's a pity I didn't believe you," he said, brushing the snow off of his coat before hanging it in her coat closet. "Well, what now?"

"I was thinking I'd make a gluten free pizza," she said. "And then watch a Christmas movie."

"Can I join you for those?" Derek asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Please!" She returned. "It's no fun to cook alone."

* * *

The pizza baking went by quickly, in a blur of laughing, stepping over each other and Derek taking snatches of the raw dough and tomato sauce.

"I don't think I have a good opinion of gluten free crusts," he said, peeking in the oven.

"I thought I would try them once," Penelope said. "Wheat is such a demon sometimes."

Derek raised an eyebrow as she moved to the cupboards. "Could you wash up while I set the table?" Penelope asked, peeking over her shoulder at him.

"Of course," he said, filling her sink with suds.

Penelope's throat hurt to imagine that this was happening. To think that she and Derek were making dinner together, just like they would if they were together.

"Um," she began.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning away from the sink.

"Never mind," she said. "That is. What kind of wine glass do you prefer?"

"The bigger the better," he replied and she set the table in a rush, pulling out Christmas placemats and dishes.

When the pizza was done, Penelope felt uncharacteristically shy about taking it out of the oven. What if it hadn't turned out well, like Derek had joked?

She took it out and was relieved to see the cheese bubbling up. It _looked_ good. And it smelled good.

Derek moved in behind her to inhale. "Damn, Baby Girl, that smells really good."

She wanted to lean into him. Somehow, the movement at that moment would have made sense. But she didn't.

Instead she jerked away, placing the pizza pan on the wooden counter.

"Okay!" She exclaimed. "Pizza is ready and the wine is poured."

"Sounds like we're ready for dinner," Derek said, rubbing his hands together.

"I think we are," Penelope answered, quickly cutting the pizza into triangles. They filled their plates and sat down at the table. Derek was about to bite into his when she stopped him.

"I want...to say what I'm thankful for first," she said.

Derek met her eyes and smiled. "New tradition?"

"Something like that," she said. "The team has just been so unbalanced lately. I have to say out loud what I'm grateful for or maybe I won't know what I'm grateful for..."

"We all miss JJ," Derek agreed. "I definitely get what you are saying."

Penelope nodded. "Okay. I am thankful that we are all alive and well."

"Good one," Derek said.

"And that I am spending a wonderful evening with my main man, instead of being alone."

"Main man?" Derek asked. "What about Kevin?"

Penelope stared at her best friend and wanted to throw something at him. "We've been broken up for a while now."

"You didn't tell me that," he said simply.

"You're a profiler, I thought I didn't have to," she returned, trying not to be angry with him. Was this how far they had grown apart?

"Well...I'm thankful that our team is still together," Derek said. "The remaining members, at any rate."

They ate quickly. The camaraderie that had been present had vaporized a bit, and now Penelope was feeling impatient. Yes, she knew that Derek would never see her 'that way' but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

Because it hurt like hell.

"What movie do you want to watch?" Derek called in as she was washing the dishes.

"You pick," she called. "As long as it's Christmas-sy."

"Okay," Derek said. When she came in, carrying a tin of fudge she'd made earlier in the week, he had paused by the DVD player.

"You're mad at me," he said simply.

"I'm not mad," she protested. "I might be peeved but I am not angry."

"Why?"

"You didn't know," she said. "You couldn't tell."

"My mind has been on other things," he said softly. "Everything is going haywire. JJ is gone and Prentiss..."

"What about Emily?" She asked.

Derek moved forward. "She's having personal troubles, I don't know. Never mind that."

"You don't care anymore," Penelope finally forced out. "That's what it feels like."

"I do care," Derek said, moving closer. "More than I have for a while. That's why I've been so distracted, because everything is going wrong and I don't know how..."

"How to what?"

"How to protect you anymore," Derek breathed. "What if you left too?"

She stared at him. He was standing right in front of her, breathing her air.

"Look up," he said simply and she followed the command. There was mistletoe above her head.

The tin of fudge dropped to the floor with a crash as Derek kissed her, his lips moving hers in a moment so mesmerizing that she didn't even notice the fudge's descent.

He pulled away before she could react, leaving her to stare at him with wide eyes.

"You kissed me."

"I did."

"Why?" She begged.

"Because I love you."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Rossi/Strauss
> 
> Date: December 4, 2012
> 
> Song: Blue Christmas by Elvis


	4. RossixStrauss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Rossi/Strauss
> 
> Date: December 4, 2012
> 
> Song: Blue Christmas by Elvis
> 
> A/N: BTW, I mean a bright blue, not the somber blue that Erin sometimes wears in her suits.

 

* * *

Erin Strauss had always hated the color blue.

From when she was a child, she associated it with her grandmother, an icy woman who lived as carefully as a dead woman because dead women invoked no scandals.

Because it was her father's favorite color and her father was a nasty piece of work she didn't want to think about. He had been the one, inadvertently, to push her into joining the FBI, because she had been dabbling with criminal justice courses and he'd mocked her desires, saying that women had no place, at all, in law enforcement. My, had she proved him wrong.

Because the boy she had hoped would ask her to prom had asked instead Linda Green and Linda had worn a beautiful blue dress, the envy of all the girls watching.

Because the meaning of blue roses was unattainable.

Because John Curtis' eyes were blue. Because his were the eyes she saw in her nightmares.

She hated blue with a deathly passion. She couldn't stand a shade lighter than navy.

So it figured that, on the fourth of December, David was wearing a blue tie: bright, solid blue with lighter blue stripes.

She closed her eyes against him as he poked his head into her office. "Hey, Erin."

"David," she returned crisply.

"So you're happy to see me," he said nonplussed, stepping into the room and smartly closing the door behind him with a click.

"Not really," she easily admitted.

"You hurt me, Erin," he returned, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"No, I don't," she said dryly and he chuckled.

"I was thinking," he said quietly, almost seriously.

She looked up to meet his eyes and saw his tie, quickly averting her gaze. "What is it?"

"You're going to be away for Christmas."

"I am," she said. "The order came from above."

"I know," he said. "You would never willingly travel at Christmastime."

"Why not?" She snapped. "It's not like my children come home."

"Because this season of the year is still precious to you," David profiled. "Because you have this tiny sprig of evergreen in your office meant to be discreet decorations."

"So?" She asked, almost flushing but keeping herself under control. Why should she be ashamed of decorating?

"That we could celebrate Christmas together, when you get back," David stated. "If, as you said, your children actually don't come home."

She refused to look at him.

"I don't need your pity."

"It isn't pity," he said softly. "Think about it, Erin. Let me know what conclusion you come to."

* * *

David had always had a 'thing' for Erin Strauss, from the first moment he'd met the brusque, _married,_ tall blonde woman. But he, too, had been married at that point so he'd put the feeling away, tucking it into the private drawer of his brain that he rarely, if ever, opened.

Somehow, though, it had come creeping back out at the most inopportune moments. When she ordered him about, after surpassing him and Jason. When she walked, in that no-nonsense manner of hers, clipping steps, into his office to reprimand him...again.

When she criticized his books as sensationalizing things that shouldn't be talked about.

When she'd first cried in front of him, two days after her divorce was finalized...

That had been the first time they had made love. He could still remember the flush on her face, how her arms wrapped around her in protection afterwards.

She hadn't spoken to him for years after that, except on business.

Until this year.

Until she'd melted, turning from icicle into woman, all woman.

He'd had precious few moments with her and now she'd morphed back into icicle.

And it broke his heart.

It would be a damned blue Christmas without her. He'd be alone again, since he'd heard the team talking and it seemed they all had plans...Alex with James, Hotch and Jack were going to visit his mother, JJ and Will were going to New Orleans with Henry...Reid was going to Vegas for a quick visit, Derek to Chicago and Penelope had plans for...something. He couldn't remember what but he'd heard her talking about parties and stage makeup so he figured it was something big and flashy.

And Erin was gone, flying out to Canada to meet with someone there.

David Rossi steeled himself for a lonely Christmas.

* * *

Christmas Eve found Erin grounded.

"What do you mean?" She asked incredulously.

"No more flights departing," the woman declared. "I'm sorry, Agent Strauss."

She left the airport in a daze, not even going to try. Canada could wait.

She leaned against the cold brick wall of the airport building, wishing for a quick shot of whiskey to warm her up.

She didn't know what to do. She'd sent her driver home early for Christmas after this and it would be complete and utter murder to try and get a cab tonight, of all nights out of the year.

She went over her contacts list but only one name stood out.

David.

* * *

The call surprised him, but he rushed to be with nevertheless. It took him two and half hours to get there, and when he did, she had a peeved look on her face.

"Why call you at all?"

"I got here as fast as I could," he answered, helping her into the car.

"Never mind," she said as he put her luggage into the trunk and hopped into the driver's seat.

"I was thinking," he said. "My house is too far away and it's already late."

"So?" She asked, raising a brow.

"The Hilton is right in front of us," David said. "It's sure to have at least one room available."

"Is it now?" She asked. "It's Christmas Eve."

"At least one," he said.

* * *

It did have one. It had a queen bed and a sofa.

Erin stared at the bed, her eyes narrowing.

"I'll take the sofa," David was already volunteering. "Do you mind if I order up some champagne?"

"Fine," she said, waving her hand. "I'm taking a shower."

She moved into the bathroom and turned on the water.

* * *

He ordered a bit more than champagne.

When Erin emerged, looking flushed and soft in a complimentary bathrobe, David ambushed her, placing his hands on either side of her on the wall.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking more confused than enraged.

"I got mistletoe," he announced, moving one hand to wave it above her head.

She looked up to see it there, her lips parting.

"Fine," she said.

* * *

After a mistletoe encounter, Erin pulled away from David.

"You can share the bed with me," she said, smoothing her bathrobe from where David had parted it, moving to sit on the bed.

"Oh?" He asked.

"Just don't wear blue."

"What?" He asked, but forgot his question when her bathrobe fell to the floor and she invited him to join her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Hotch/Callahan
> 
> Date: December 5, 2014
> 
> Song: Undecided


	5. HotchxCallahan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Callahan
> 
> Date: December 5, 2014
> 
> Song: Christmas Day by She & Him
> 
> A/N: And, for the hell of it, let's say that this follows my little fic: Cinnamon Roll.

 

* * *

Christmas music blared from the speakers as Kate Callahan drove to work, whistling to the songs playing.

When she pulled up at the gate to the FBI buildings at Quantico, she waited a moment too long to turn the music off, realizing what car was in front of hers in line and could probably not only hear the song blaring but see her mouthing the lyrics in his mirror.

Agent Hotchner handed his badge to the guards on duty for them to be checked, and his eyes met Kate's in his sideview mirror. An eyebrow quirked, and Kate fought to read what he meant...

_Seriously, Christmas music?_

_Seriously, that loud?_

_Why did you turn it off?_

_You know the lyrics to that song?_

But, try as she might, she couldn't figure it out.

She'd been working at the BAU for two months now, and while she'd gotten to know the team pretty well, there were still parts to her new team members that escaped her.

Especially Hotch. Try as she might, she could not read him. She'd gotten lucky, once in October, on a consult in New York.

But since then...not in the least. Try as she might, his facial expressions, his...everything. It was all impossible.

But today she didn't care. She looked down at the bag of goodies next to her, a grin on her face. Today she was disregarding everything.

* * *

It took way too long for Hotch to leave his office on his lunch break. Kate sat at her desk for an agonizing amount of time, nibbling on a granola bar and denying offers of a real lunch, giving the excuse of a report she needed to get out.

Every few minutes, she found her gaze sneaking to Hotch's office and she immediately lowered her eyes again, trying to not be so obvious.

It was Friday. Hotch always left his office to eat lunch on Friday, bar none.

Yet, his usual lunch hour ticked by and he was still there.

Kate almost gave up, at least giving into her more immediate needs, shoving her chair back and almost jogging to the bathroom.

As in a hurry as she'd been, she paused at the mirrors, staring at herself in the reflection. She looked excited and anxious, like a kid on Christmas Eve, wondering if Santa Claus would make it to their house after all after they'd been mean to their brother that day.

Lord, she was even thinking in Christmassy terms.

Christmas always came early for Kate. She always ticked down the days to it, because, bar none, she was _always_ home for Christmas. Christmas day found her going to her sister's house, to see Liz, Joe, Meg and Caleb. After years of undercover work, it had become a deal breaker regarding cases this time of year. No. Matter. What.

She was home for Christmas.

This year it was a given. They weren't going anywhere and Kate knew that Hotch would let her refuse the case, if it even came to that.

She left the bathroom feeling even more amped up. This year was going to be _great_. She reentered the bullpen and the first thing she noticed was that Hotch had vacated his office.

Her heart skipped a beat. _Finally!_

She jumped to her feet, before tamping her behavior down. Her team mates, profilers all, had already noticed how antsy she was. It wouldn't help to prove it by having a panic attack because Hotch left his office.

She slowed down, grabbed her report and her bag, heading to Hotch's office like she was about to turn it in. Actually, this was pretty golden. Now it just looked like she'd finished her report and was handing it in to Hotch, not knowing that he'd left because she'd been in the restroom.

She tried the door, and found it was unlocked, which usually happened on Hotch's lunch break; not his office wasn't secure. If it was anyone going into his office that wasn't supposed to be there, or didn't have strict reasons to be there when he was gone, she'd have been in huge trouble in seconds. But as it was, she was dropping her report on his desk and darting forward to place something out of his eye line before leaving the office walking casually, like there had been nothing unusual at all in her going inside.

* * *

It was past four o'clock when Hotch poked his head out of his office. "Callahan? Can I speak to you?"

She jumped to her feet, feeling the eyes of Reid on her. "What happened?" He mouthed but she just shrugged.

She could even tell that Rossi and JJ had noticed from their offices, and tried hard to keep her behaviour and posture normal as she walked to Hotch's office, step after step.

Hotch closed the door behind her and he held a sprig of mistletoe in his hand.

"What is this?" He asked.

"It looks like mistletoe," she answered, sitting in one of the chairs and crossing her legs.

He moved to sit at his desk, eyeing her oddly.

"It is mistletoe," he said. "Do you have any idea how it got in my office?"

"Why ask me, sir?" She asked, trying to fight the smile playing at her mouth. God, unless it was a life or death situation, she couldn't keep anything hidden.

"Because you were in my office while I was out," he said.

"I left a report," she said, folding her hands.

"Is this a prank?" He asked. "Some sort of joke? Because I thought you and Morgan had already finished his prank-the-newbie war?"

"We did," she said. "And you aren't the newbie."

Caught.

She realized what she'd said and scolded herself for giving it away so quickly.

"So this was just a joke," he said.

"Morgan and I may have bet on who could keep a sprig of mistletoe in here longer," Kate confessed.

"I'm guessing you lost," Hotch said, eyes narrowing.

"Actually, Morgan's didn't last five minutes," Kate said smugly.

"I don't remember it," Hotch said. "Enlighten me."

"He put it in your briefcase when you got here yesterday, thinking that you would keep it in there all day, but you took your briefcase into Rossi's office and it ended up in the trash can."

Hotch's eyebrow rose again. Kate again had no idea what he was thinking.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Nothing that a simple penalty wouldn't fix," Hotch said, pushing his chair back and standing up.

"Sorry, sir, a penalty?" She asked, her brow crinkling in confusion.

"While I don't mind you doing on your downtime, I have experienced firsthand the hassles of prank wars," Hotch said, still holding the sprig of mistletoe. "Yes, a penalty."

"What, sir?" She asked, standing up to follow him and having to look way up to see his face.

"Stand under it."

Hotch raised the mistletoe high in the air.

Kate felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach jump almost alarmingly. "I, uh..."

He raised an eyebrow and she stepped near him, rising up on her toes. "I'm not sure I can reach you," she whispered, half a breath away.

His lips descended on hers and she kissed him back with fervor, glad he'd given her a helping hand.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Derek/Emily
> 
> Date: December 6, 2008
> 
> Song: Don't Save It All For Christmas Day by Celine Dion


	6. MorganxPrentiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Derek/Emily
> 
> Date: December 6, 2008
> 
> Song: Don't Save It All for Christmas Day by Celine Dion

 

* * *

"Don't talk to me," Emily said as she entered the BAU that morning, shoving past all of her coworkers before reaching the coffee machine, pouring herself a cup and downing half of it before adding anything, even though she hated having coffee black.

"Bad night?" JJ asked cautiously, moving towards her.

"Please do not take this the wrong way, but I did mean it when I said don't talk to me," Emily said, before going to her desk and sitting down, angrily flipping through a case file and then sighing, placing a hand on her forehead.

Reid and JJ discreetly moved farther away from her, but Derek frowned to see her like that, almost moving closer to her, then throwing all caution to the wind and stepping up to her, straddling the chair nearest hers and rolling it over to place a hand on her back.

"Talk to me," he ordered. "What's wrong?"

She jerked away from him when he touched her and his eyes widened.

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped.

Derek felt the distance she was trying to put between them and it shook him, making him take a step back. "I, sorry, Prentiss."

Her eyes met his, and he saw the red outlining them.

"You should be," she whispered before returning to work, ignoring him as steadily as she could.

* * *

"What did you do?" Reid snapped, almost accosting Morgan later in the day when Emily had left for lunch.

"I don't know!" Derek protested. "I didn't do anything intentionally!"

"Did you see how red her eyes were?" Reid demanded. "Or how she drank her coffee _black_?"

"Yes, I did notice!" Derek said.

"And how she spoke to you in particular?" Reid continued.

"I didn't do anything," he said.

"What happened last night after I left and you and Prentiss were alone in the bullpen?" Reid demanded.

"Nothing," Derek said but even as he spoke, a dull flush crept onto his cheeks. "There was something."

"What?" Reid asked.

"We were talking about Christmas, and silly traditions, and mistletoe," Derek said.

"And?" Reid asked.

Derek moved away, folding his arms. "I guess we fought a little but it was over something really stupid."

"Maybe it wasn't stupid to her," Reid said and swept away from his friend, moving down the hallway at a quick pace.

Derek stared after him, tightening his lips into a frown.

He remembered what exactly had happened and he felt a flush again creeping onto his face.

_"Mistletoe is an ancient tradition," Emily spoke. "It stemmed from a Roman custom of the men going out to buy their women gifts when the women were angry. They'd hold out the mistletoe they'd got and if the woman had forgiven them, they kissed underneath it."_

_"Seriously?" Derek asked._

_"Hell no," Emily said, cackling. "I made all of that shit up, sorry, Morgan."_

_He gently knocked her on the back of the head. "That's not nice, Prentiss."_

_She shrugged. "What are your big plans for the night? I know Reid left to go to a book store. How about you?" The way she asked the question made him think that there was something else behind her asking it but he disregarded the feeling as he stood up._

_"I have a date with a pretty woman," he said, speaking of his sister who was in town for business that day._

_Her face shut down completely, all emotion disappearing. "Have fun."_

_He was in a hurry; he had to pick her up from the airport and he'd lost track of time talking with Emily so he ignored the feeling that he was missing something. "I will. See you, Prentiss."_

Did Emily...?

Was she hurt...?

Had she taken that the wrong way?

He turned around to see Emily walking back into the bullpen.

Derek hurried after her, but by the time she reached her desk and he caught up to her, Reid was standing next to her, folding his arms to see Derek advancing.

He fell back.

* * *

The afternoon was spent trying to do business and failing completely. At the end of the day, Emily left with Reid, both of them chattering about Indian food, leaving Derek to morosely trudge into Hotch's office.

"What's up, Morgan?" Hotch asked, not looking up from the paperwork heaping his desk.

"I didn't get much done this afternoon, I had my mind on other things," Derek confessed. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that I'll be in the office tomorrow, too."

"Okay," Hotch said. "Thank you for telling me. Don't let yourself get burned out, Morgan. You've been doing a lot lately."

He glanced up from his paperwork as he said this and Derek just shrugged. "It's my job."

"And only that," Hotch said. "There are more important things than the next report."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that," Derek said.

"Go see Prentiss," Hotch said simply. "Tomorrow. Don't bother coming in. I'll cover your report."

Derek opened his mouth to protest.

"That was an order, by the way," Hotch said, returning his gaze to the paperwork.

Derek smiled.

* * *

He got to Emily's apartment around noon the next day, feeling stupid as he pressed the buzzer for her apartment, half expecting Reid to answer it.

Instead, no one did. He waited for five minutes, in the cold air, before determining that she wasn't home and turning to leave.

He almost collided with her as she got out of a car the second he turned around.

"Whoa!" He said, reaching out to steady her as they both got a little off kilter.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Where were you?" He questioned.

"I felt like going to Mass," she said. "I do that sometimes. I asked you first!"

She stared at him, her eyes burning into him.

"I'm doing this wrong," he said simply and put his hand in his pocket, pulling it out to reveal a clenched fist.

"What the hell, Derek?" She asked, staring at him.

"It was my sister," he said simply and then opened his fist. A sprig of mistletoe lay in his hand.

She flushed, putting a hand to her mouth. "Was I that obvious?"

"Come on, Em, help a guy out," he urged. "I brought the damn mistletoe."

Emily sighed. "You're kind of going to have to raise it higher," she exhaled, before stepping into his arms and kissing him.

All was forgiven.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Reid/JJ
> 
> Date: December 7, 2006
> 
> Song: Undecided


	7. ReidxJJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Reid/JJ
> 
> Date: December 7, 2006
> 
> Song: Do You Hear What I Hear? by Bing Crosby
> 
> A/N: I had a hard time deciding on the song for this one, because I am trying to match it to the chapter...I think this one sort of fit. Kind of. Maybe.
> 
> Does anyone know of a version of it with a female vocalist? I listened to Carrie Underwood's but it's not the one I'm thinking of.

 

* * *

Reid loved JJ. Ever since their relationship had taken off last year, after a blissful first date at a baseball game, it had given him pure joy to come to work and just see JJ there, a smile on her lovely face.

And yet. Yet.

There were so many little things. So many things that were just harder than they should have been. Spencer Reid had never been in a serious, or long lasting, relationship before JJ, and now they had been going out for just over a year, and he just had the feeling that...things shouldn't be so hard.

It was odd. Reid couldn't find a good way to put his feelings into words, which didn't happen often. He supposed it was one of the mysteries of physical and emotional relationships. Sometimes things just got tangled.

He wanted to tell her. He wanted to work it out with her reasonably but JJ didn't seem to even notice how hard it was for him sometimes. She just greeted him with a smile, a hug or a kiss, and delighted in doing so.

Reid delighted in it too. He felt immense gratitude for the relationship, for how it enabled him to express newly felt emotions. How easy it was to say 'I want' to JJ and have her listen to him with her complete attention.

So what was it? He could barely even pinpoint one thing, it was just a feeling he had around her.

It was December before he realized what it was.

The BAU's newest agent Emily Prentiss sat next to him on the airplane, and they were both a bit silent. Reid didn't know what to make of Prentiss yet and he was glad that she wasn't forcing a conversation.

And then she spoke up. "So you and Jennifer have been going out for a year now?"

JJ, in passing, patted Emily's shoulder. "Please, just JJ."

Emily gave JJ a quick smile before looking at Reid again.

"Yes, it's about a year and fifty-five days," Reid said. "Since our first date. Since we made it official, it's only been about nine months and...eighty-three days."

Emily nodded. "That's nice and thorough," she said. "It's always good to be thorough."

The conversation petered out again. JJ was going over the events of the case with Hotch or Reid would have called her over.

He didn't know what to say to Prentiss. He felt extremely awkward around her for numerous reasons, and he missed Elle. He hated that Elle had felt the need to do what she'd done. He kept thinking...if he hadn't been so concentrated on JJ, all the time, if he'd been able to help Elle.

"So..." Prentiss began, interrupting his thoughts. "I feel like I should get to know you guys better."

"That's a good idea," Gideon said, much to Reid's relief. The older man stepped over to where they were sitting. "Can I join in?"

"Yes!" Prentiss exclaimed. "Good."

There was silence again.

"Let's say something we each fear," Prentiss said.

Gideon quirked a brow. "Okay. I fear people. I fear what they are capable of. Most of all I fear that there were things that could have been done, steps that could have been taken to help them before we had to stop them."

"I'm afraid of being caught," Prentiss said in a joking tone.

"What do you mean?" Reid said, curious in spite of himself.

"I'm still waiting for you guys to realize that I'm not as good as I want to be and kick me out," Prentiss explained, her joking tone belaying the real worry in her statement.

"You've proved yourself by now," Gideon stated, and Prentiss's relief was obvious.

"I'm afraid of the dark," Reid said. "I'm afraid of..." He was going to say 'the inherent absence of light' but he paused, as his mind worked without him telling it to and brought an entirely different answer to mind, perhaps spinning off of what Prentiss had said. "I'm afraid of it getting too good."

"Why?" Prentiss breathed.

"Because the better it gets, the worse it hits when you fall," Reid said, and looked over at JJ, whose head was bent over a case file with Hotch's.

He suddenly knew the _why._ He suddenly knew exactly what he needed to say to her.

* * *

After they were back, Reid sat at his desk in the bullpen, fiddling with a pen and pretending he wasn't trying to stare a hole through the door in JJ's office. Not that you could. Stare a hole through a door, that is.

God knows he'd tried.

He jumped to his feet when her office door opened, signaling the end of her workload for the day.

"Spence!" She exclaimed. "You did wait for me!"

"Of course I did," he said. "I always do."

"But it's still a good thing," JJ said happily, twining her arm through his and not taking his hand. She knew what he liked.

"JJ, I want to talk to you," he began.

"Yeah?" She asked. "About what to do? Cause I kind of want to go out for dinner. Just some place simple, like an all night diner. I have cravings for waffles."

"No, something serious," he said.

She straightened. "Okay. What, Spence?"

"Since we have been dating, in a relationship, I have felt this uneasiness around you and I have never been able to put it into words," Reid said in a huge rush. "I've always hated how I felt, and always tried to shove it down especially because I couldn't label it and it didn't make any sense because you're so wonderful and loving to me, JJ."

"Yeah?" She said, her face paling.

"And it's hard but I have to come out and say this," Reid continued. They had stopped walking in the doorway to the BAU. Mistletoe was over their heads, as it had been for most of December, but neither remembered or noticed.

"You aren't breaking up with me," JJ said, her tone strangled. "You are. Spence..."

"No, I'm not!" He said. "I just need to be able to say this to you. It's _too_ good, JJ."

"What does that mean?" She asked, frustrated.

"That's why I feel afraid around you," he said. "Like everything is going to break if I drop something, don't do something right, you'll be done with me. And the higher I go, the harder I'll fall."

She swallowed, tears coming to her eyes. "I...Spence, I honestly feel the same way. Every time I'm with you, it's like, I'm so happy to see you that I get scared. I get scared that if I'm too happy you'll think I'm not serious enough or good enough at my job or I'll slack off..."

She trailed off.

"I think now that we've told each other, we don't need to feel like it any more," Reid managed, looking at the woman he loved.

"I hope so," she said, wetting her lips.

"We should continue this discussion," Reid said and, surprising her, linked his hand in hers. "Over waffles."

She smiled brilliantly.

"First things first," an unknown voice said, and they both whirled about in mild panic and extreme surprise.

Gideon stood there, an eyebrow raised. "I didn't hang that mistletoe there for nothing."

The pair standing under it blushed and looked to the ceiling.

JJ leaned forward and Reid leaned down. Their lips met in a moment of sweetness and relief, with the knowledge of how lighter their hearts were now.

* * *

Next time:

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Rossi/Garcia
> 
> Date: December 8, 2013
> 
> Baby, It's Cold Outside by Dean Martin and Martina McBride (or by She & Him if you want a slightly different twist to the song.)


	8. RossixGarcia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Rossi/Garcia
> 
> Date: December 8, 2013
> 
> Baby, It's Cold Outside by Dean Martin and Martina McBride (or by She & Him if you want a slightly different twist to the song.)

 

* * *

Rossi bit back a curse word as he entered the BAU, his finger stinging.

"What's wrong?" Alex Blake's voice met his ears, and he turned to see her enter after him.

"I just got a blood blister," he said. "I got my finger stuck in my binder."

"Ouch!" She exclaimed. "What are you going to do for it?"

"I have no idea," Rossi said. "But I guess I should wash up."

He turned around and headed back out of the bullpen, heading for the men's room and sliding his hand over the binder to close it, when a voice behind him startled him.

"Rossi, I have to show you this!" Reid's voice, excited, surprised him, and he jammed the binder into his finger again.

" _Merda_ ," he cursed, instinctively putting his finger into his mouth.

Reid, understandably, looked slightly disgusted, germaphobe he was. "What are you doing?"

"You made me pop a blood blister," Rossi bit out.

"Whoops," Reid said, looking truly apologetic. "Sorry. Um. You could ask Garcia for help. I know she has a mini first aid kit."

"Thanks," Rossi said. "What were you going to tell me?"

"Oh, I'll tell Alex," Reid said, tucking a folder under his arm. "It's just a new study done."

"Tell me later," Rossi said, and went over to Garcia's den, knocking before entering.

"Come in!" Came her voice, and he walked in.

It was dark, as usual. She was seated at her desk, her headset strapped on and she looked to be doing a million things at once, typing furiously and talking someone through setting up a new system.

He waited until she was done on the phone before saying anything.

"What's up, Rossi?" She asked brightly, her attention fully on him for a few moments and he privately marvelled at her. He'd never known someone as luminescent as Penelope Garcia.

"I popped a blood blister and Reid said you had a first aid kit," he related, showing her his finger.

"Damn," she said, surprising him. Garcia wasn't usually one to curse, not with traditional swear words, at least. "Come here," she urged, shoving her rolling chair over to a different section of her desk, flipping a light over the work space and grabbing his hand with one smooth motion.

Damn.

She took the first aid kit in one hand as she looked at his finger, ably opening the box and finding the sterile wipe. "This should be all you need," she reflected, swabbing it down and finding a bandaid, which she wrapped carefully around his finger. "That and this." She pressed a kiss to his finger before looking up at him, eyes sparkling. "A little love goes a long way, after all."

"It does," he smiled, trying to not react to her words. Love. Well, Garcia loved all of her teammates. It wasn't unusual for her to express that. Yet...it was rarely alone in a darkened room with the one who was in love with her.

Not that she knew that.

Not that he should call it love.

And yet what other word was there? He felt a deep fierceness in regards to her, a protectiveness that ran deeper even than Morgan's or Hotch's, who both watched over the tech with alacrity.

One of Rossi's first encounters with her had been when she'd been shot. He'd learned almost right away about her capacity for love and compassion, and how they could both lead her into trouble...deep trouble.

And since then, he'd watched her continue to be loving and silly and professional and to try her damndest at a job she didn't really 'love' but she loved her teammates and she loved rescuing people so she stuck it out.

And he loved her for it. He couldn't help himself.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to her. "Thank you," he said, his voice earnest.

"Of course," she replied, slipping back into Tech Genius/Goddess mode as a call came in on her headset.

He slipped from her lair, feeling even more blue than he'd been when he'd walked in.

* * *

Later that day, Hotch had taken the team out on a consult, everyone but Rossi and Blake. Blake and Rossi had been relegated to staying behind and directing movements...which, for this case, amounted to sitting in the round table room shooting the breeze while waiting for word to come in that they were needed.

"All I wanted to tell her was that, while loquacious was indeed a word, it did not mean loose bowelled," Blake said, and they both exploded with laughter. "I think she was one of my...slower students, and _that_ is being kind."

"I would not want you as my teacher," Rossi said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Why not?" She posed the question deadly seriously.

"Because you'd bust me in two seconds," he said. "All of my secret plans for disrupting your class...poof!"

He waved his hands in the air and she noticed the bandage on his index finger. "Ah, who did that for you?"

"Garcia," he said, feeling his voice soften as he said it.

If Blake notice it, the only indication she gave was a slight hike of her eyebrow.

"I thought she didn't do well with blood," she quipped.

"She'll give you 200% in every situation, if you tell her she's needed," Rossi said. "Bar nothing."

Blake's eyes widened. "I believe you," she said. "She's quite an amazing woman."

"That's not even half of it," Rossi muttered, as the tech goddess herself hurried into the room, her high heels' clopping giving her away.

"Okay, the team is away and I need to ask you guys," Garcia said, placing her hands on the table.

Rossi quietly admired the picture she made, in a figure hugging black dress with bright green tights to liven the look, a pink hat with pink fishnet over the face, and red and white arm warmers. She was beautiful. She was always perfectly lovely.

"What is it, Garcia?" Blake asked, all business. She was obviously pleased to be asked whatever Garcia was going to ask of her, instead of Garcia going to someone like JJ or Morgan as she usually did.

Rossi was also pleased, wondering what she was going to say.

"So you guys know that I have a reputation for always having the best gifts in existence for everyone on this team, right?" Garcia asked. "Mainly because I stalk people's online history and drop hints and...never mind. I'll stop giving my techniques away. But this year, I have given Hotch everything perfect already and I do not know what to give him."

Rossi felt disappointment settle in, even as Blake perked up, already eager for the challenge.

"What about books?" Blake said. "A legal thriller, or maybe he gets enough of that at the office."

"Definitely," Rossi said. "Though Prentiss occasionally read Jodi Picoult, I think all of us stick to milder things when we're out of the office."

"I've already given him books anyway," Garcia complained. "And I have perfect gifts for everyone!"

"Even us?" Blake asked, smiling.

"Indeed, of course, how could I not?" Garcia hurried.

"Perfect?" Rossi asked, eyebrow arching and Garcia blushed as she looked at him.

"If I do say so myself, and you guys have always been satisfied before now," Garcia said. "Even your first Christmas with us. I gave you that joke tie and you actually wore it."

"I did," Rossi said.

"What did the tie have on it?" Blake asked curiously.

"It had reindeer antlers," Garcia said wistfully.

"Yes," Rossi said and thought hard for a minute. "What about socks?"

"Socks?" Garcia said, crinkling her nose. "Isn't that more Reid's type of gift? I mean, Hotch only wants regular ol' socks, maybe fancy weave but he buys them himself. I'd only buy crazy socks and Hotch would not wear them."

"True," Blake agreed. "I cannot see Hotch wearing something ridiculous unless it was because of a dare."

Garcia became alert, listening to her wireless headset. "They're on," she hissed and scrambled from the room.

Rossi and Blake also became alert, tuning back into the case.

* * *

That night, Rossi ambled into Garcia's lair again. It had been a long day and Garcia's involvement had been extreme, as she had taken upon a huge job of seeing if the victim's story was true.

"You feeling okay?" He asked. Her hands were behind her head, rubbing her neck, and he hesitated before walking forward.

"I'm tired," she said softly.

He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, and she let her own pair fall to her sides as he began his mini-massage.

"God, that feels good," she murmured. "Thanks, Rossi."

"You do such a good job," he told her. "You have to know that. I hope I've told you before now."

Garcia sighed. "You probably have. Ooh, right there...oh god," she said, leaning back to melt into his hands. Rossi tried to ignore how almost-primal the sounds were becoming, sounds that brought to mind images of lovemaking...Garcia underneath him...

No. He wouldn't go there. He admired her too much to use this as an excuse to think dirty thoughts. And yet, Garcia would be the last person on earth to protest something like that.

Hell, she'd probably want to know what they were. He laughed aloud and Garcia's eyes popped open.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I had a ridiculous thought," he said, realizing that, with her head tipped farther back, he could almost see down her shirt.

"What?" She asked, before her eyes widened. "What in the world?"

"What?" He asked, as she jerked out of his grasp, standing up and grabbing at something hung overhead, but she couldn't reach it. "Is that...mistletoe?" He asked.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "And I have no idea how it got there!" She turned to face him, her face crimson and clapped her hands over it. "I swear, sir, I didn't put it there intentionally to trick you or something. I mean, yeah, I might have a little crush on you but who in this unit doesn't, and..." She trailed off, moving her fingers to peek at him.

"Oh, Penelope," he breathed and moved in. Her eyes widened but she comprehended what he was doing, and returned the kiss wholeheartedly, putting her hands on his chest.

They stayed in a tight embrace for a few long moments afterward.

"Your place or mine?"

The words echoed in the air.

They left together, their hands tightly entwined, neither going home to an empty house for once.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Hotch/Emily
> 
> Date: December 9, 2009
> 
> Song: Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton


	9. HotchxEmily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Emily
> 
> Date: December 9, 2009
> 
> Song: Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton

 

* * *

Hotch heard the news from Morgan...they'd solved the case. Their first case without Hotch.

He heard the news and bit back bitterness and self pity. He was home, with Jack. Strauss had been by.

There was no reason to feel...the way he felt.

He already knew the answer to her question.

He'd be going back. He wasn't sure why...in fact, he had no idea why. He didn't want to label it, he didn't want to make it real.

Jack had just slipped into sleep, and Hotch was leaving his bedroom, when he heard a soft knock at the door.

He didn't want to open it. He was afraid to see who was on the other side.

He turned the knob and it swung open to reveal Prentiss.

"Prentiss," he said, not surprised but still a bit taken aback.

"Hi," she said. "It's just...after the case, and I thought...maybe you'd like...or I don't know."

The complete incoherence of the sentence made it impossible to understand her meaning.

"What?" He asked.

"I just wanted to say," she said, her cheeks flushing a bit. "I hope you come back."

He looked at her, the woman who'd been working alongside him for three years now, and who'd seen just as much, if not more, of the darkness of the world.

"I'm going to," he said softly.

She nodded and slipped away as quietly as she'd come.

* * *

The case load was horrific. Hotch came back and had a second of doubt as he looked at his desk: _what the hell am I doing back here? Why did I think this was a good idea?_

The next case tore him into pieces he didn't want to admit, and the next time she came to his office door, she didn't knock.

"Why did you come back, if you were going to try to blow it all?" She asked, her hands flattened on his desk in anger.

"I just thought..."

"What about Jack?" She demanded. "You went in there without a vest, for Christ's sake."

"It worked," Hotch said baldly.

"It's Christmastime, Hotch," she almost screamed. "Did you want Jack to spend his first Christmas without Haley _alone_?"

The words hit him like freezing water, startling him awake.

"I didn't want to spend it...at all," he said after a long pause. "It's not like any Christmas I've ever..."

The words trailed off. Prentiss left his office in a whirl of anger, not even looking back.

* * *

He called her, a few days later, after work was over.

"I'm sorry," he said simply.

"Why do you think it's enough?" She asked.

"I thought it was enough for me to realize that it's you I needed to apologize to," Hotch whispered.

He almost heard her tighten the grip on her phone. He could almost see her: the look of pain that would be on her face right now.

"You ended it," she bit out, her voice barely above a whisper. "And then you didn't even look at me for days."

"My wife died," he said. "And I killed her murderer...doesn't that excuse some of it?"

"I don't know," she said, and he could hear her sobs.

* * *

At work the next day, he took a chance and called her into his office.

"Haley said to teach Jack how to love, to show him," he began, cutting to the chase because dodging it would be more painful.

She stared at him. "What is that supposed to mean to me?"

"I don't know," he said, covering his face with his hands.

"Hotch, I...loved you," she said. "And I still do but that's not enough when you can't even...look at me half the time."

"The woman I love was murdered," he said. "Can I help it if I look at you and see the same fate?"

"Foyet is gone," she said, her voice rock hard. "And I'm not Haley. I won't go down like that."

"I can't even ask it of you right now," he said, changing the subject. "No matter how much I want to...I couldn't."

"You should," she said, her voice shaking. "I want you to. Just ask, Aaron."

* * *

He shopped for gifts, for little things to make Jack's Christmas bright. He thought of Haley, and how she would probably have taken Jack to church on Christmas.

Hotch wasn't sure he could handle that.

Emily showed up on Christmas Eve, her clothes coated in snow as she shook herself off on his proverbial doorstep.

"Hotch, I know that you and Haley always went to church on Christmas," she began. "I'm not trying to take her place but I was thinking that you might not be able to go...alone."

"I wasn't planning to," he said simply.

"I was thinking, we could go to midnight mass instead," she said. "It would be different. Haley wasn't Catholic."

"I don't..." Hotch began but as she spoke the words, he saw the look on her face. "Jack would like staying up that late."

"He would," she said, a smile playing on her lips. "Come on."

* * *

After mass, they walked home from the church. He wasn't sure if it was he or Emily or said it, by their movements and thoughts, but somehow on the way home they made a decision.

"I brought something," she said when they'd reached his apartment. "It's completely wrong and stupid but I had to do it."

"What?" He asked, after Jack had been settled in bed.

"Mistletoe," she said. "I don't care if you send me home after that. I can understand that and I can wait. But kiss me under the mistletoe. Show me you love me at least that much."

He'd never said the words but he knew they were true.

His lips met hers, and his arms slid around her.

He knew she wouldn't make it home tonight. He'd make sure of that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm never writing Hotchniss again. I spent half the time writing this just banging my head on the desk asking myself why I was even trying. It's not that I don't ship it...yet it is. I don't ship it and never have and while I have come across some very beautiful stories involving them as a couple, it's not for me. But I did my best.
> 
> What did everyone think?
> 
> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Emily/Spencer
> 
> Date: December 10, 2013
> 
> Song: All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey


	10. ReidxEmily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Emily/Spencer
> 
> Date: December 10, 2013
> 
> Song: All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
> 
> A/N: Spencer/Em was something I started to ship in season 7. It's not one of my main ships, but I definitely 'feel' it sometimes...

 

* * *

His fingers drummed on his leg.

His mind was frantically moving through dozens of scenarios as he tried to select the right one to use.

His hair was in his face, and it didn't bother him.

It never bothered him.

Spencer Reid sat on an airplane, crammed between two people who were both of them plugged into mp3 players, ignoring the world around them.

Spencer was ignoring the world around him too, but through the machinery of his own brain and not of a little device.

It was a far cry from how he usually flew...and he did 'usually' fly. Most of his life, he joked sometimes, was spent on a plane. And this flight was, by far, one of the longest he'd ever taken, excepting a few to California.

DC to London was, approximately, seven hours and five minutes. He had thought, before he left, that he'd be able to spend this time mentally rereading the entirety of Kurt Vonnegut's works, who was Emily's favorite author. But he'd misjudged the utter feeling of impatience he'd be feeling at the the mere thought of seeing her again, and he was failing miserably to even concentrate on one word.

_Emily._

That was the word that his heart was beating to in this moment. A person had approximately 1.6 heartbeats every second, and every one was painful, as it conjured up images of Emily.

* * *

The last time he saw her: driving with her, Garcia and Morgan to the airport. The moment when Garcia and Morgan had disappeared for a moment, and he'd been able to look at her, as alone with her as he could be in a crowd of a hundred and seventy-eight (approximately) other passengers waiting.

"I'll miss you," he said, honesty being the best policy. Wasn't honesty always the best policy? Was it?

"I'm not leaving because I _won't_ miss you," she said, staring at him. "It's not like that, Spencer."

"I know," he said, and, surprising both of them, opened his arms to her. She stepped into them in an instant, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"I want to stay," she said. "I really, really do. But it's not about want, anymore. It's more about necessity. I can't stay."

"I know," he said, one hand going up to rest on her head, on her dark brunette hair that was almost black.

"Sometimes I think I really did die," she said. "I mean, I did. I coded. But sometimes I think I didn't actually come back."

"Sometimes I think that too," he breathed in return and she pulled away, as Garcia and Morgan came up behind them.

"I am all set for this flight," Garcia chattered excitedly. "I have more than fifteen movies _legally_ downloaded and ready to go on my airplane mode tablet. I have five magazines in case said movies turn out to bore me, I have a relaxing music playlist on my iPod in case I decide I want to rest instead, and I have my two best friends, Hot Stuff and Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw?" Emily laughed.

"Your hair, your intelligence, of course you'd be Ravenclaw," Garcia said offhandedly.

"I've always self-sorted into Slytherin," Emily said, her hand still resting on Spencer's shoulder, and his hand unconsciously came up to rest on top of it.

"You should take the official JKR sorting test then," Garcia said simply. "Okay. We should be getting on with it."

Spencer, due to his FBI credentials, had been allowed past security and was standing with them in the waiting lounge.

"Boarding will start soon," Morgan said. "We should get ready for that. Okay, Pretty Boy. Be good. Prank our new teammate, hmm? When she or he joins, of course."

"Of course," Reid said. "Since you won't be here to carry on your long and noble tradition, I will take it over for you."

"That's my boy," Morgan said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Ooh, I'll miss you and call you twice a day to tell you everything I'm doing and all the sights I'm seeing," Garcia promised and squeezed him tightly, briefly.

Emily's hand was still on his shoulder. It fell off accidentally as she walked away, and she looked back at him when it did, as if in apology, as if even now she knew she was hurting him by leaving. But she went anyway.

And her hand fell off. His own hand almost reached out to catch hers, to have one more moment with her.

But instead, in a movement of self-preservation, he turned and walked away, back through security, back through the airport until he was out, until he was gone.

* * *

The first time he'd seen her hadn't made as much of an impression as you would have expected. She was new; she was replacing a beloved colleague. And yet...he'd been so caught up in his own worries that he hadn't paid attention.

He'd paid more attention later, when she, on the spot, translated an Arabic transcript.

Then he'd been entirely pulled out of his own world and into a dizzying world that started and ended with Emily Prentiss. That started with her speaking Arabic and ended with her dead.

It was different after that.

But that, almost more than anything, was why he wanted to see her.

Why he needed to see her this Christmas, three months after she'd left.

* * *

Emily was alone in her office.

She was always alone in her office.

Clyde came in, but he never occupied the space the same way a team member from the BAU might have. The same way Spencer might have.

She was amused that she still thought in terms of Spencer. In three months, she still couldn't forget him, the look on his face when she'd walked away from him. How she'd looked behind her and he wasn't waiting to see her do it.

He'd left.

She knew why he had. In a bizarre way, it was like an eye for an eye. She'd left him so he was leaving her before she had a chance.

Yet Spencer didn't think that way. He'd had to leave before she did, as a coping mechanism, so that, for once, he might be the one who was left behind but not the one who waited to be.

She knew that.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she called, moving back to her desk.

Bridget stood there; she was an invaluable asset to Emily's new team and one of her new best friends. "Listen, there's someone you should talk to," she said. "He told me he would wait at the coffee shop next to us."

"Who is he?"

"It's too sensitive to talk about here," Bridget said. "But he's someone who's been planning to speak to you about this for a while now."

Emily's brow crinkled. "How will I know him?" She asked, picking up her coat and scarf; pulling gloves on.

"He's going to be wearing a purple scarf," Bridget said.

For a moment her heart stopped, before she realized how utterly foolish she was being. Of course it wasn't Reid.

"Thank you," Emily said, hurrying from her office and taking the stairs down.

Sometimes the elevator wasn't fast enough.

She got to the ground floor in about five minutes, and she was almost out of breath by the time she'd reached the coffee shop, pondering on what matter this man could be coming to speak to her about.

Leon Abakumov?

Natalie Porter?

Or maybe someone in regards to the Darfur war, even.

She opened the door to the coffee shop, her gaze sliding over each patron, until she saw someone, standing at the back of the shop.

She started forward, her heart beating in her throat.

Could it be...?

He turned around. She saw the scarf, and the mistletoe he probably didn't even realize he was standing underneath.

It was too good a chance to pass up.

"Spencer!" She called out, and he saw her, his eyes lighting up.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, and, wonder of wonders, he returned the kiss. His lips moved over hers in a breathless seizure of power...she'd never known Reid to act like this.

Then he pulled away. "What was that about?" He panted, leaning his forehead against hers.

Tears of joy came to her eyes.

"You were standing under mistletoe, silly," she breathed.

"Did you know that, statistically speaking, people standing underneath mistletoe only have about a 25% chance of getting kissed by the person they love?" He asked her, and she laughed, loving how he was always the same.

"Are you serious?"

"Not in the least," Reid said. "I don't think anyone ever even calculated such a thing." His eyes sparkled. "Life isn't the same without telling you facts for you to roll your eyes at."

She grinned and kissed him again.

"Hang on a minute," he said, again the one to pull away. "We're not under the mistletoe anymore."

"So?" She asked, holding him even closer.

"That was the correct answer," he said, his eyes content. "You're the only person to ever get that question right."

"What, you mean you've asked other people it?" She wondered as they slowly made their way to his table, sitting next to each other. She reached out to clasp his hand and wondered at the normalcy of it.

"No," he said. "Which makes your answer even more correct."

She leaned on his shoulder. "I think I love you," she said, her hand tightening on his.

"I know I love you," he returned.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Alex/JJ
> 
> Date: December 11, 2013
> 
> Song: The Christmas Song by David Choi


	11. JJxAlex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Alex/JJ
> 
> Date: December 11, 2013
> 
> Song: The Christmas Song by David Choi
> 
> A/N: I really do recommend finding this version of the song on YouTube. It's very magical and just has this...feel to it. It's by far my favorite cover.

 

* * *

The case was ongoing, dragging the team along in its wake. The snow fell thick and heavy as JJ took the keys out of the ignition, relieved to finally be done driving.

Garcia, on speaker phone, spoke again. "Are you done driving now, Jayje?"

"Yeah," JJ replied. "Finally. I hate driving in snow. I don't care if I _can_."

"Okay," Garcia said. "First of all, he's armed. Second of, he's deadly and slightly insane."

"I've got backup," JJ said, as Hotch's SUV pulled up behind her, followed by two squad cars.

Blake and Hotch came hurrying out, all suited up. JJ's heart tingled to see them, and she stuffed her hands in her pockets out of nervousness and the cold.

"I didn't think you were bringing Alex," JJ said, her voice echoing in the cold air. Snow always seemed to somehow magnify noise.

"She got back before we thought she would," Hotch said, glancing to meet the newer agent's eyes.

"I did," Alex agreed. "Are we ready?"

The three stood outside the ramshackle house for a moment, contemplating it as Sheriff Bulinsky and his deputies joined them.

"Blake, you go around the back with Sheriff Bulinsky and Deputy Carl," Hotch ordered. "Everyone else is going in the front with me and JJ."

The deputies hurried to comply, their footsteps crunching on the newly fallen snow.

"How long has it been snowing that we already have six inches?" JJ muttered, her eyes following Alex's progress until the woman disappeared around the corner.

"That's Minnesota for you," Deputy Thomsen told her, grinning.

"Ready," Hotch said, and JJ immediately tensed.

"FBI!" Hotch called, JJ twisted the knob open for him.

He strode into the house, and she hurried in behind him, both of them screening the room in an instant.

"Clear!" Hotch announced as the deputies came in behind them.

JJ moved from the front hallway into a living room. She saw memorabilia that she would bet they could tie to all four murders; probably 90% of it would be trophies of some sort.

She glanced into a glass china cabinet and, seeing a face behind her, whirled around in shock, her gun ready.

But it was Alex, her hands up.

"Sorry," JJ said, her hands immediately falling to her side. "I'm surmising that the kitchen was empty too."

"Every room we went through," Alex said, sliding her gun into its holster as she stepped more fully into the room. Her hands went to her ponytail, tightening it.

JJ's throat tightened at the action, and she had to fight to pretend that she didn't notice her fellow agent, and the way she was moving.

Hotch came into the small room, making it that much easier, especially when he was followed by Sheriff Bulinsky and his deputies.

"The house is completely clear," Bulinsky said, staring at Hotch. "Now what?"

JJ found herself wandering out of the room as the other agents spoke, going to the back door. She opened the door, slipping outside and back into the world of snow.

She realized that Alex had followed her when she heard the telltale crunch of snow underfoot. "I always think of Narnia when the snow looks like this," JJ said softly. "The new movies messed up a lot but god, that scene where Lucy first walks through the wardrobe is utterly perfect. So beautiful."

"I know," Alex said. "JJ?"

"Yeah?" JJ asked, turning to face her lover.

"It's different," Alex said, folding her arms. "To do this with you after what happened last night."

JJ's cheeks turned red, but not from the cold. "It's new for me, too," she whispered.

They stood there for a moment before Alex sighed. "I'm going to go talk to Hotch, see if we can get a new thought going," she said. "Are you coming?"

"Just a minute," JJ said. "I want to stand here for a minute longer."

Alex nodded. "You'd almost think he ran into the woods, since they're so close, but there are no footprints and there's no way he could have gotten that much warning."

"Mm," JJ agreed as Alex slipped back into the house.

The thought now in her brain, JJ stepped forward, her boots making telltale footprints, clearly showcasing where she'd walked.

"The snow is thinner here," she murmured, continuing to walk. A bush was in her way and she ducked to the right to avoid it, and once she had passed it, she gasped.

There were footprints in front of her.

"Alex!" She exclaimed, turning to double back to the house. "Hotch!"

It was maybe a hundred feet away at this point.

She had a sudden, sickening feeling that she wouldn't make it.

She swung around, to see the man they'd been looking for step out of the trees.

"Noah!" She exclaimed.

"You're going to try to arrest me," he said, his hands shoved in his pockets. "I didn't do those things."

"You did," she told him. "Listen, Noah. You are a very sick man. You've been suffering from psychotic breaks, much like Dr. Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde. You didn't know you were doing it, but you did it all the same."

"I couldn't have killed my sister," Noah protested. "Or my girlfriend. Or the mail carrier. No, no!" He shook his head back and forth wildly.

"We can help you," JJ said, taking a chance. "I'm going to put my gun down now."

He watched her, his eyes unable to quite focus on her.

She reached down to place the gun on the snow in front of her. "I'm not going to hurt you," she said, kicking the gun far away from both of them. "I promise."

"But I didn't do anything," Noah repeated. "I couldn't have. Why should I listen to you?"

"If you didn't, don't you want to know who did?" JJ asked. She was hoping against hope that someone had heard her first cries toward the house but she couldn't count on it.

"I didn't do it," Noah said, his voice harsh and the man started to rock back and forth.

"Noah," JJ cautioned. "Let's go back to the house."

She stepped forward, her hands held open wide. She was taking a huge chance, but she didn't know what else she could do. She didn't want to shoot him. She thrown the gun down for a reason.

But he was still a grossly dangerous man.

"Noah?" She asked. "I'm going to cuff you now."

He was almost insensible right now, his shaking turning into sobs. She stepped forward again, and his head snapped up.

She'd made a mistake. She tried to back up but he was lunging forward, grabbing toward her, his hand just falling short of her shoulder. She fell to the ground, slipping in the snow. A crack echoed through the air and he fell to the ground, clutching his arm and moaning.

Alex came running through the woods behind JJ, and Hotch, and Sheriff Bulinsky.

"I'm sorry we couldn't make our presence known," Hotch said immediately as he cuffed Noah.

"I understand," JJ panted, as Alex helped her to her feet.

She watched as Sheriff Bulinsky led Noah away, reading him his rights. Hotch stared at JJ.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," JJ managed.

She turned to Alex, meeting the woman's gaze and, swallowing, moved in closer, her hand going to the woman's face.

"Here, now?" Alex gasped.

"There's mistletoe in the tree above us," JJ said. "It was one of the first things I noticed when I fell. It's time, Alex."

She kissed her lover squarely on the lips, unable to express her joy in any other way. She was still here. Her love was right by her side.

She heard Hotch walk through the woods away from them, giving them a moment of privacy. She wouldn't have cared if he hadn't. All she wanted to do was shout it from the rooftops at this point.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Kate/Reid
> 
> Date: December 12, 2015
> 
> Song: Last Christmas by George Michaels. (Alone. Not Wham! George Michaels by himself.)


	12. ReidxKate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Kate/Reid
> 
> Date: December 12, 2015
> 
> Song: Last Christmas by George Michaels. (Alone. Not Wham! George Michaels by himself.)

 

* * *

Spencer Reid was just home for Nevada, his home town.

He knew that the team had had it rough without him gone: they'd only just gotten back JJ. Being down an agent was tough on everyone.

Luckily, Kate, Hotch, Morgan, Rossi, Garcia and himself had done okay without her. Not perfectly, but okay. And Tara Lewis had briefly joined their ranks before going off to head an interview committee.

DC was a welcome sight to see as he looked out the window while going down the escalators to the baggage claim. He could see the cold air, the snow-slush coating the streets.

And then, waiting by baggage claim number 3, he saw Kate Callahan.

Speak of the devil.

He almost stopped walking, almost turned around and headed back the other way. Why had she come? Hadn't she already hurt him enough?

What hurt the most was that she didn't even know how much she'd hurt him. That was what twisted the knife in him as he went about his daily job since last December, _god, was it already a year ago?_

Kate smiling, Kate crying about Meg, Kate divorcing Chris and never realizing who'd been waiting for her, trying to be _something_ to her all this time...

So why was she here?

He continued to walk forward, and then she looked up, saw him and smiled.

"Spencer!" She called, rushing towards him. She pulled him into a hug before he could stop her. "I'm so glad to see you," she murmured. "I missed you, you know. Meg did, too."

"You did?" Reid asked, honestly startled.

"Those three cases..." Kate began. "I honestly think they would have been solved a day earlier had you been in our ranks." She smiled. "Especially this last one. Rossi had to call you in."

"How did that go?" Reid asked.

"Perfectly, and you were, as always, exactly correct," she said happily. "BAU 1, UnSub 0."

"That's good," he said, taking his luggage from the belt when he saw it. "It sounded like quite a fascinating case. The never ending battle of medical discoveries vs. morality will always be a tough subject. That's why Frankenstein is so important, even today."

"Indeed," Kate said. "You wanna see the new movie?"

"I had the misfortune of seeing a TV spot for it," Reid said. "I really don't think I want to. The story seems almost unrecognizably changed."

"I wouldn't say that," Kate began.

"Then unnecessarily added to," Reid said. "It's not for me."

"I might have guessed," Kate sighed.

"How did you get my flight times?" Reid finally asked her, as they walked from the airport.

"Garcia," Kate said. "I know you didn't leave your car here and I didn't want you paying for a cab."

"Thanks, I guess," Reid said, crinkling his brow.

"What's the matter?" Kate asked as they walked into the cold air. She burrowed down into her coat.

"I'm just...you're the last person I expected to see here," he finally said.

Kate paused. "Why?"

"Because of what happened last December," Reid said.

Kate blinked. "Spencer...what are you talking about? Did I somehow offend you?"

"Last Christmas, Kate Callahan," Reid said, his voice suddenly fierce. "Does that ring _any_ bells for you?"

She licked her lips. "It was a mistake," she finally said, her voice nervous.

"You divorced Chris," he said. "You divorced him and you never said if it might have to do what happened last year. Was I a fling? A pity fuck?"

She blanched to hear him use such language. Spencer Reid almost _never_ swore.

"You were..." She began.

"And now it's December again," Reid continued unmercifully, the stress of the past few days finally catching up to him and materializing itself as anger at Kate. "And you haven't even indicated that you even remember what happened."

"I do remember," she said, laying a hand on his chest as if physically stopping him would make his diatribe stop. "And I can't forget. So that's why I didn't say anything to you. I didn't want you to think..."

"To think what?" He asked. "That I might have actually _mattered_ to you? That the love I felt for you was returned?"

"Love?" She asked.

"Not anymore," Reid said, breaking away from her. He'd spent so much time considering and reconsidering things that this was all too little, too late.

If only because he still wanted it so much.

He took a cab home.

* * *

Kate contemplated the facts as she strode to her car, her tears almost blinding her. She remembered what had happened last year, and she almost broke down then and there. He was right. She'd hurt him unforgivably.

But she had _reason_ _s._ She _couldn't_ make it about Reid or she'd never forgive herself for finally saying goodbye to Chris...

Reid had just been the catalyst, the eye opening answer that made her think: _I'm not happy with Chris. I will never_ be _happy with Chris._

And along the way, she'd fallen in love with him, from the first time she'd met him to last Christmas when she'd made the biggest...

No, she decided firmly. It wasn't a mistake. She regretted hurting Reid, but nothing else.

* * *

She drove to his apartment in a blur, wondering if he'd just kick her out again.

She remembered last year: _staying in a hotel, going to Reid's room, talking about the case until it was so late. Too late. Until Reid had gotten off of his bed and walked to his suitcase._

_"I found this earlier," he said. "In the woods as we were walking."_

_He turned around and held it out._

_"Mistletoe," she breathed, staring at the greenery in his outstretched hand._

_"I was thinking..." He began. "It's a plant with a large lore attached to it. Most familiar is the kiss underneath it, but there are underlying reasons for it..."_

_Kate, still on his bed, had gotten on to her knees, edging towards the end of the bed, where Reid was standing._

_He swallowed, his hand still outstretched. "Kate," he began, his voice raw._

_She reached the end of the bed, reaching to push his hand up higher again._

_"Don't you want to hear the other reasons?" He asked, but his hand was almost shaking._

_"Not right now," Kate whispered. "I just want to follow the most familiar tradition."_

_"Okay," Reid said._

_When she kissed him, her world exploded. The mistletoe fell to the floor, completely forgotten, as Reid returned the kiss, his hands framing her face..._

She reached his apartment, took the stairs two at a time, and knocked on his door until he opened it.

"I don't want whatever you're selling or I don't care if you're locked out, Amber, I am not letting you in again to wait for the landlord—" Reid opened the door, irritation on his face. She'd rarely seen him like this. "What do you want?"

"To apologize," she said. The door began to swing shut but Kate stuck her foot in the way just in time. "Hear me out," she pleaded. "I know what I did was...foolish but I wanted you, Spencer. I wanted you, so much. And I remember every second of it but I owed it to Chris to stay away from you after that while I...divorced him."

His eyes didn't soften.

"Spencer..." She started. "I just wanted to say that I brought you this. A Christmas present."

She grabbed the hand that was at his side; felt his sharp inhale and the jump of his pulse when she did so. She pressed a sprig of mistletoe into it, before falling back, letting his hand go.

"I...that's all," she said. "Except for...I do love you."

"This doesn't change what you did," Reid said, but his eyes were looking at the mistletoe, almost transfixed. "I...I couldn't help it."

"What?" She asked.

"You...that night," he said. "I wanted it."

"So did I," she assured him. "It wasn't just a fluke, I swear."

His smile was bittersweet. "I'm not your second choice," he stated.

"Never!"

"Not a rebound of some sort," he continued.

"Of course not," she cried.

He grabbed her hand, pulled her near and kissed her, taking her breath away simply from the unexpectedness of it.

"Come on," he said, and shut the door behind them.

* * *

Next time:

Pairing: Hotch/JJ

Date: December 13, 2011

Song: Undecided (If you have a suggestion, you know what to do!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Hotch/JJ
> 
> Date: December 13, 2011
> 
> Song: Undecided


	13. HotchxJJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/JJ
> 
> Date: December 13, 2011
> 
> Song: I'll Be Home for Christmas by Josh Groban
> 
> Seriously. Josh Groban's version brings in these beautiful recordings of soldiers stationed away from home during Christmastime.

 

* * *

His heart was heavy as he walked into the office that day, feeling the weight of the Christmas season as it returned again. Jack wanted to know if Santa Claus would bring Mommy home for Christmas, and Hotch had taken the simple request to heart.

Yes, Jack knew that Mommy was dead, but sometimes, little kids forgot things. Or simply didn't quite understand what dead meant...if it was just not being around, of course that person might return for Christmas.

His heart broke again from the death of his ex-wife.

"You look...terrible."

He turned to see JJ leaning outside her office, looking at him. "I've been watching you as you walked in," she said, walking around to meet him. "Your shoulders were literally slumped, Hotch."

"I just remembered how hard the holidays can be for some people," he replied, unlocking his office door.

"Some people meaning...you?" JJ asked, reaching him.

"Yes," Hotch said. "And Jack."

Her hand went to touch her heart. "Oh no," she stated. "Is he asking if Santa will bring Haley home?"

"How did you know?" Hotch asked, completely startled.

"He asked me the same thing last year," JJ said. "Remember, I took him out Christmas shopping so he could get you a gift. And he asked me...well, you've heard it too now."

"His voice was just so small," Hotch said. "So quiet, like he already knew the answer but he just had to ask in case it was different."

"Oh, Hotch," JJ murmured. "Losing someone...especially for kids...it's never that easy."

"I know," he said.

"I know most people would say to distract him," JJ said cautiously. "To do something big and new for Christmas so he doesn't have a chance to think of his mother, but, for this time, I disagree."

"What did your family do...about Rosalyn?" Hotch asked.

There was a flash of pain in JJ's bright blue eyes. "I, uh, haven't told Henry about her yet. It was too hard. And that sums it up. I don't talk about her."

Hotch nodded.

"And I would usually say that that is the way to go," JJ rushed. "But this year...I think you should get out your old videos of Haley. Ask Jessica and Roy for memories of Haley's childhood Christmases to give to Jack. That's what I think you should do. Try to bring Haley into Christmas."

Hotch nodded and let himself into his office. "What do you do when Henry asks about Will?" He asked casually, turning so he wouldn't see the look on her face when she received the question.

"I...tell him that..." JJ trailed off. "Will is coming back for Christmas," she finished. "And he is. Just still not to stay."

"I'm sorry," Hotch said.

"Sometimes I forget that you were a divorcee, too, before you were widower," JJ said. "It's hard," she agreed. "Definitely hard. Especially when Will brings up taking custody of Henry. Again. I think I'd have to give it to him, I think I would, if only Will agreed to stay in DC. Near here. It's getting so hard to schedule people to take care of Henry and I feel so guilty..."

Her voice trailed off.

"Looks like neither of us are looking forward to Christmas that much," Hotch said.

"Not really," JJ agreed. "Not this year."

* * *

He followed her suggestions, asking Jessica to tell Jack lots of stories of when Haley was a girl; Jack's age. It was funny how often Jack asked Jessica during the stories, as if to confirm that Haley had, indeed, once been Jack's age.

He even went so far as to go to Roy and ask him to tell Jack stories of Haley, of when she was younger and Jessica might not remember.

As he'd expected, Roy had chewed him out, as he always did, but Jack had come home from his most recent visit with Grandpa spilling over with stories of how Haley had waited up for Santa Claus every year until she was twelve, and _one year_ she had _seen_ him.

"I think I know what you'll be doing Christmas Eve," Hotch said to his son.

"You'll _let_ me?" Jack exclaimed.

"Of course," Hotch said. "I've always wanted to meet Mr. Claus myself."

"Thank you, daddy!" Jack said, hugging his father's legs. "We have to make extra yummy cookies for him!"

"I know it,' Hotch said, making a mental note to stock up on ingredients they'd need to make cookies.

* * *

"How's the plan going?" JJ asked him, catching up with him in the hallway of a police station in Philadelphia.

"Good," Hotch said. "Jessica and Roy are telling Jack everything they can remember about Haley's childhood Christmases. Jessica even told me that she's rarely seen her father so happy this time of year, just from remembering it."

"That's nice," JJ said.

"Roy told her that Haley waited up to see Santa every year until she was twelve, and that one year she actually did," Hotch said. "Guess who's going to be staying up late on Christmas Eve?"

JJ smiled wide. "That sounds amazing," she said.

"And everyone is happier for it," Hotch finished. "Thank you, JJ. What about your Christmas plans?"

"Oh, actually Will—"

They were interrupted by the ring of Hotch's phone. "Tell me later," he said, putting it to his ear.

JJ watched him walk away, shoved her hands in her pockets and walked in the other direction. What did it matter if she'd acquiesced to Will's demands that Henry spend this Christmas with him? It wasn't like Hotch had time for that.

* * *

Hotch found himself thinking of JJ on Christmas Eve, as he put up the tree with Jack. Roy had told Jack that, one year, Haley had insisted on waiting until Christmas Eve to put up the tree, and so Jack had wanted to do the same thing.

As Hotch wrestled with the tree stand, he thought of JJ, realizing and remembering a few things he hadn't caught the first time around. The look of loneliness on her face yesterday as everyone talked about their Christmas plans.

How she'd left work early, for reasons that Garcia guessed at as being related to Will.

The answer came to him as he put the star on top of the tree. God, what a fool he was. All this time JJ had been making sure he had the best Christmas possible with Jack and she was spending it alone.

He felt nothing like the profiler he was supposed to be as he contemplated the matter.

Jack, standing next to him, tugged on his sleeve. "Daddy?" He asked.

"Yeah?" Hotch said, looking down at his son.

"You look sad," Jack said. "Are you thinking about mommy?"

"Not quite," Hotch said. "I was thinking about someone who's spending Christmas alone."

Jack looked at Hotch, his eyes widened in shock. "But that's sad!" He protested.

"I know," Hotch said. He got a sudden idea. "Hey, bud, we should still have a few hours before Santa comes." (Santa being a theatrical friend of Garcia's who agreed to play the part.) "Would you mind taking a car ride with me?"

"We can look at the lights!" Jack exclaimed. "Yes!"

"Of course we can," Hotch said, and hurried Jack into his coat, only one thought on his mind.

* * *

He drove to JJ's house using a casual detour to look at some of the best Christmas light displays in the DC area. Jack was amazed at each of them, exclaiming with happiness as each new one came into view.

He pulled up in front of JJ's house and turned to face Jack.

"Can you stay in the car for a few minutes?" He asked.

"This is Miss Jennifer's house," Jack said, pointing.

"Yes, it is," Hotch said.

"I thought you weren't working tonight," Jack frowned.

"I'm not," Hotch said. "JJ is the one who's spending Christmas alone. Would you mind if I asked her to join us?"

Jack blinked. "She has to come if she'll be lonely!" He agreed. "I'll wait."

Hotch smiled and jumped from the car. As he approached the house, he remembered Garcia talking about how she was going to decorate JJ's house for the holidays and JJ protesting. It seemed like JJ had lost that battle, however, because there were lights galore, a pretty snowman and...was that mistletoe hung over JJ's door?

He noticed it the moment after he rang the doorbell, and when JJ answered, he was still staring at it.

"Yes?" She asked. "Hotch!"

He looked at her. She was wearing a red plaid shirt dress, maybe it was a nightgown but she had boots on with it.

"It occurred to me that you might be spending Christmas alone," Hotch said.

Her face broke into a smile. "Is this an invitation?"

The mistletoe was distracting him. It was bringing to mind too many illicit thoughts. "Oh, god," he whispered, and leaned in in time to see JJ's puzzled frown before he kissed her.

Her lips were soft. She tasted like fruit cake. He wondered how long it had been since he kissed a woman.

"What are you doing?" She finally asked, putting her hands on his chest to push him away, gently though.

"There's mistletoe over your door," Hotch replied.

"Oh, god, I'll kill Garcia," JJ groaned. "I didn't know it was there, Hotch. I'm sorry for making you think I was...propositioning you or something."

"That's not what I thought," Hotch said, his voice rumbling.

JJ choked out a nervous laugh as she looked at him, her eyes wide.

"Jack's in the car," Hotch said. "I have his permission to invite you over for Christmas."

"I'd like to come," JJ said. "Thank you, Hotch."

He hesitated. Was this completely inappropriate? "You could come now," he said. "Save time."

"You don't have a guest room," JJ said simply, licking her lips.

"You could sleep in my room," Hotch said. "I could take the couch."

"Or...you could not take the couch," JJ offered.

Hotch grinned. "Deal."

The smile JJ offered in return made everything worth it. "Just let me grab some clothes," she whispered.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Alex/Erin
> 
> Date: December 14, 2012
> 
> Song: Undecided
> 
> Sidenote: This is about the time that Hotch would meet Beth in Canon. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed thwarting that in this story. Maybe Beth herself wasn't so bad but I hated her as a match for Hotch. Just the way she was pseudo-stalking him when they met.
> 
> Completely unrelated, I think Reid in season 7 might be my favorite.
> 
> Oh, and the idea behind the song for this one (thanks so much, tannerose!) was that Hotch and JJ are both mentally far away from home for Christmas and this was supposed to take them there.


	14. ErinxAlex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Alex/Erin
> 
> Date: December 14, 2012
> 
> Song: Christmas, Baby Please Come Home by Fifth Harmony
> 
> For Lktwh13. For her being one of the most honest and impartial reviewers I've ever had.

 

* * *

Erin stood in the bullpen, all alone. It was after hours. Hotch had even left.

And Erin was alone.

Her arms were folded around herself, as if trying to keep herself there, considering that everyone else was gone. It was bizarre to be here after hours, lonely like this.

She'd wanted...she'd expected Alex to be here. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd heard from Rossi that Alex had been pulling all nighters lately, looking for leads on a case she was obsessed with, and just plain trying to catch herself up.

She knew why Alex pulled all nighters. It was what she did when James was abroad. She remembered that. She'd pulled a few with Alex back in the day, spending half the night in serious business and the other half fooling around.

She felt a blush stain her cheeks. So she could still admit to remembering. She could admit that she remembered the look on Alex's face when she was flustered; when she was aroused; when she was angry. She could admit that she _loved_ the way Alex looked at those times.

Even angry.

Except when that icy anger was directed as Erin herself. She remembered the day when it had all fallen down...she remembered choosing self preservation over love and she regretted it.

She _really_ regretted it.

"Alex..." She said out loud, knowing that she'd never get the chance, or find the courage, to say it to Alex's face. "I'm sorry."

* * *

_There was mistletoe in the cramped office space of the terrorist division of the FBI. All of the agents working on the Amerithrax case were avoiding it like the plague, going way out of their path to dodge walking beneath it. There was already an unpleasant hum in the air since the case had gotten worse, and the mistletoe was just making it worse._

_No one was sure who'd put it up, but three men and two women had already tried to remove it and failed. The ceiling was too high, and the mistletoe was fastened too firmly._

_Alex Blake looked up at the ceiling and tried to conceal her diabolical smile. It was working much better than she'd originally hoped and planned for. She'd intended for it to be a distraction, just a little one, and it had. Now everyone was on the lookout for where they walked. She remembered John Curtis' frantic jump out from underneath it when he'd accidentally stood there a moment too longer._

_Alex had only barely muffled her laughter in that moment. It wasn't like kissing was taboo. It wasn't like John Curtis was even a hotly pursued male that was in danger of actually being kissed if he stood under it._

_What had really gotten her, however, was how Erin had flatly ignored it, her level gaze meeting everyone in the room as she stood underneath it, just_ daring _them to make a move._

_No one had even gotten up from their desk until she'd exited, too afraid of being castigated by her._

_Ah, good times, Alex mused, spinning in her chair and standing up at the end of another long day. She was packing her bag and not looking up, so when she saw feet on the ground in front of her, she startled, barely managing to hide her surprise as her gaze travelled up long legs (damn, she thought, swallowing) to a trim waist and an enviable chest, to Erin Strauss's face._

_Oh god. Had Erin Strauss just caught her checking her out? Married-to-James Alex Blake? Not-gay Alex Blake? Seriously-not-gay Alex Blake?_

_Well-sometimes-just-a-bit-gay._

_100%_ - _gay Alex Blake._

_But no one else knew that._

_"Erin!" Alex finally managed to say._

_"Alex," Erin returned, her voice stiff. "I'd like to speak to you about something."_

_"Yes?" Alex asked, fumbling with her bag._

_"I know it was you who put the mistletoe up there," Erin said simply. "I'd like it to be gone before we have to face another day of John Curtis jumping out of his skin every time he realizes anew that it's above him."_

_"How did you know it was me?" Alex asked, her mouth falling open._

_"Simple deduction," Erin said. "You're the only one...rebellious enough to do so. I don't know why you felt the need to spice this unit up, though. Isn't anthrax spicy enough for you?"_

_"Anthrax is tasteless," Alex said._

_Erin rolled her eyes. "I think I know that. It was a metaphor."_

_"I know," Alex said, before realizing how it made her sound. How did Erin always manage to make her feel stupid?_

_"The mistletoe," Erin said._

_"I can't reach it," Alex admitted. "It was a very complicated maneuver to get it up there. I'm not sure I actually could get it down."_

_"You'd better," Erin warned._

_"I don't really want to either," Alex finally managed. "Not when it's such a source of entertainment and chances."_

_"Chances for what?" Erin asked._

_"This," Alex said._

_Her desire overtook her and she kissed her boss. It was a mistake. It was a hugely horrible mistake that she would regret for the rest of her life. But she didn't care. She really didn't care because she was finally kissing Erin Strauss and it was just as good as she'd always imagined it would be._

_Erin pulled away from her sharply. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked furiously._

_"I..."_

_Erin glanced around the room as if to confirm no one saw it. Alex felt burned at the gesture, before she felt Erin's hands on her collar, before Erin yanked Alex towards her and swung her into Erin's office, slamming the door behind them._

_"What are you doing?" Alex asked, having a suspicion but wanting to confirm it._

_"Something I should have done long ago."_

* * *

"You are?"

The voice broke into Erin's thoughts and she spun around.

Alex Blake stood there, a cup of spilled coffee in front of her.

"I am," Erin said. Something gave her an extra dose of courage. "And I brought this."

She held out a sprig of mistletoe for Alex to see.

Alex clapped a hand to her mouth, shock predominant on her face. "I never thought..." She trailed off.

"We can talk later," Erin urged, holding the mistletoe up high.

"You always knew how to catch me," Alex choked out but didn't move.

Erin advanced. "I want to show you again what you meant to me back then," she promised. "Let me do this."

Their lips met under the mistletoe.

Alex pulled away first. "It isn't that easy," she warned. "How do I know that this will happen and in the morning you'll act like it didn't?"

"I promise I will not," Erin whispered. "Please. We can talk later. _Please._ "

"Don't beg," Alex said but she gave in.

Oh god, she gave in.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Derek/JJ
> 
> Date: December 15, 2011
> 
> Song: White Christmas by Bing Crosby


	15. DerekxJJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Derek/JJ
> 
> Date: December 15, 2011
> 
> Song: White Christmas by Bing Crosby
> 
> I hadn't realized before now that I'd planned both the JJ/Hotch and the Derek/JJ one shots for 2011. And the whole center of both my plots is that JJ is *back* on the team so I can't change it.

 

* * *

"Just tell me if there's anything you need," Derek said quietly.

JJ moved her arm, wiggling it. "I think I'm fine," she said. "Honestly. I just popped it."

He frowned, leaning forward to look at her arm again. His head was close to hers; she could smell his cologne. "You smell nicer than I do," she grumbled. "How is that fair?"

Derek burst out laughing. "Please do not say things like that when I'm so close to you," he whispered. "It's not fair."

"You aren't fair," she whispered.

"How?" He asked.

"You're looking really hot right now, and I am looking like a hot mess with a busted arm and bedhead," JJ said.

"You are talking like you are still high on your pain meds," Derek said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe I am," JJ sighed, shifting a little on the bed.

"Personally, I think you look really hot right now," Derek said, nodding his head. "I think white plaster is the way to go for this year's trends. Soon everyone will be wearing it."

"Just the people who work with you," JJ said, tilting her head.

Derek laughed again and leaned in to press a kiss to her collarbone. JJ sighed and shifted her head up so he could kiss her more easily.

"I like this," JJ said. "I really like this."

"I do, too," Derek said, his voice soft. "It's feels so good. I...I did not want to spend another Christmas without you, Jayje."

"I didn't want to spend another Christmas away either," JJ returned. "I am beyond relieved..." Her voice trailed off.

"You were just working at the Pentagon," Derek frowned. "I still don't understand why you didn't come home."

"It's complicated," JJ said, moving away.

"I know it is, and I'm sorry for that," Derek sighed and moved off of the bed. "What do you want for dinner? I am volunteering to cook."

"Ooh, I'd better document this rare occasion," JJ said, smiling.

"I cook more often than you do," Derek joked.

"I cook for Henry!" JJ protested.

"And nobody else," Derek said.

"Speaking of, I can only imagine what Pen's feeding him," JJ said.

"Probably sugar," Derek said. "And she'll go overboard spoiling him because she finally has him for a sleepover."

"I know Pen loves to have Henry over, I just wish I didn't have to sprain my wrist for it to happen," JJ complained.

"We were talking about dinner," Derek reminded.

"Soup," she said. "And then bed."

"You're tired?" Derek asked. "Are you hurting? Any dizziness?"

She looked at him from under lidded eyes. "Der, I wasn't talking about bed like that."

She could almost tell that his mouth had gone dry, and she could practically feel his eyes roving over her body, hidden from sight through the blankets covering her.

"Okay," he said. "I'll make soup."

"Thanks, babe," she whispered.

She did feel herself drifting off, in and out of consciousness as you can only do when on pain meds. The window blurred in front of her eyes; the Christmas lights rimming it turned into bright stars that blinded her vision.

She didn't want to tell Derek but she felt like crap. She felt bitter and tired and sad and regretful of every life choice she'd ever made.

Especially taking the job Strauss 'offered'. She'd wished she'd done anything but go to Afghanistan.

Anything.

Derek came back into the bedroom, holding a bowl of soup on a tray. "Here we go," he said happily, placing it in front of her.

"Thank you," she whispered, jolting herself back to consciousness. Derek was the second brightest star in her life these days, coming a close second to Henry. Will was...Will just _wasn't_ anymore.

She ate the soup quietly. She could tell that Derek felt her mood change.

"The pain meds started to kick in again," JJ said as she finished the soup. "I kind of want to sleep."

"I understand," Derek said, kissing her cheek. "Rest up, JJ. I'll still be here when you wake."

She wondered how he knew to say that.

"I know," she whispered, and then her throat prevented her from saying anything more.

She returned to dozing, not quite making to sleep. Her mind buzzed with thoughts and memories she wanted to forget, and she woke up, in the middle of the night.

Derek was in bed with her. She could feel his body, hot next to hers.

Maneuvering carefully, she wiggled from the bed without waking him, slipping off to the bathroom, where she splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror.

This wasn't her.

Jennifer Jareau was not a woman to hide and cower.

Jennifer Jareau did not look back.

She didn't regret things.

She lived in the moment, cherishing the moments she had with her team...her _family_...the people she loved most in the world because, if there was anything she'd learned, these moments were not guaranteed...there was no guarantee that she'd wake up tomorrow and everyone would still be there.

And that was why she had to keep moving. Keep moving and not looking back.

She slipped from the bathroom and collided with a bare, muscled chest.

"Derek?" She gasped, almost falling back but he caught her.

_He always caught her._

"I was worried when you weren't in bed," he said simply, catching her wrists in his and planting a kiss to her right.

She pulled back, walking towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" He asked, following her until she paused in the doorway. "Why are you stopping?"

"There's mistletoe above us," she whispered.

He looked up.

"How did that get there?" He asked in amazement, as JJ wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, you don't. You might injure your wrist more.'

"How could I—?" She broke off when Derek swung her, princess style, into his arms, and kissed her deeply under the mistletoe.

* * *

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Penelope/Tara
> 
> Date: December 16, 2015
> 
> Song: Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby & David Bowie


	16. PenelopexTara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Penelope/Tara
> 
> Date: December 16, 2015
> 
> Song: Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby & David Bowie
> 
>  
> 
> A/N: A bit short, but I ended up really liking this pairing.

 

* * *

Penelope Garcia sighed into a cup of cocoa, dismally looking out over the parking lots as she watched her team members go home.

As she watched, because she couldn't go home. She was stuck here and she _hated_ it.

"Hey, Penelope?"

She turned to see Dr. Tara Lewis come striding up, tall and strictly business as usual.

"Hey, Tara," she said simply, moving away from the window. "You're not going home yet?"

"I've got a few minutes," Tara said simply, unbuttoning the single button on her black jacket and shrugging out of it to reveal a cream colored sweater. "I thought of you."

Garcia pressed a hand to her heart to show her appreciation but she mainly felt guilt at Tara feeling that she had to stay to keep her company. "It's okay," she sighed. "You don't have to stay."

"We have a lot in common, Penelope," Tara said matter-of-factly. "We both _really_ want to put all the bad guys away. We want peace. Let's get to know each other better tonight."

Penelope wasn't sure where Tara was going with this, but sat down across from her. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"I want to know you better," Tara insisted. "We should ask each other questions, learn more."

"Okay," Penelope began, stretching the word out.

"I'll start," Tara said, her eyes dancing. "What is your favorite color?"

"Pink!" Penelope said immediately. "And orange and light blues, and maybe yellow." She found herself getting into the feel of it. "What's yours?"

"Blue," Tara said. "Sky blue."

"Let me ask this one," Penelope interrupted. "Do you..." She gazed around the bullpen. "Do you like your job?"

"I truly love it," Tara said. "I can't help it."

"It satisfies me," Penelope returned. "And that's enough."

Tara smiled. "Do you have a dark secret?"

"Yes!" Penelope said. "Do you?"

"Who doesn't?" Tara returned before both women realized their mistake. "I didn't ask what it was."

"I won't say," Penelope said.

"Neither will I," Tara admitted and they both laughed.

"What's your favorite animal?" Penelope wondered. "Me, I could never pick a favorite. Maybe cats. But not cats because rabbits are cute. And so are lizards."

"Oh, I'm going to have to say horses," Tara said. "The elegance of their long legs and the speed they can get to...the vision they make when running."

"Wow," Penelope said.

"How many sexual partners have you had?" Tara asked, not even blushing.

"You'll have to answer this too," Penelope said, eyes narrowed.

"I know," Tara said.

"Five," Penelope finally admitted. "A computer friend...Kevin Lynch, who works here, two guys in high school and..."

"And who?" Tara asked. "Morgan?"

"I wish!" Penelope joked. "Actually...it was..." She trailed off. "You first."

"Just two," Tara said, ducking her head. "Someone in high school and my ex-fiance."

They looked at each other for a moment.

"These aren't our dark secrets, are they?" Tara asked.

"No!" Penelope said. "Not really. Um...what's your favorite book?"

"I don't have much time to read for pleasure," Tara said. "I couldn't pick one."

"It might be something by Judith McNaught," Penelope said. "I couldn't pick one of hers either. I want to say _Whitney, My Love_ but Clayton is such a bastard. Just for the beauty of the story, maybe Whitney."

"Hmm," Tara said. "Would you...ever..."

"It was a woman," Penelope blurted. "My other partner was...a woman."

"So was my high school relationship," Tara said.

There was silence as they looked at each other. Penelope could feel a blush heating her cheeks. "I've never told anyone that," she said quietly. "Even when I kissed Emily on a dare."

"Your former coworker?" Tara blurted.

"Yeah," Penelope said quietly. "I wanted...I fell for her, but it faded. So did my crush on JJ."

Tara ducked her head. "I think I might have a crush on you."

Penelope's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me," Tara said. "It's as simple as that. And learning that you might be in the same boat as me sexually..."

Penelope couldn't even speak.

"I'm not trying to pressure you," Tara said. "I'm not. I just...I sound way too much like I'm pressuring you, like I tricked you into this. I swear, I just wanted to get to know you better, Penelope."

"You called me Penelope," Penelope said quietly.

"Yes," Tara said.

"Almost no one calls me that," she continued. "It's Garcia, all the time."

"Or Baby Girl," Tara said miserably. "I should go."

She picked up her jacket and started to walk out. "I'm sorry," she called back.

It was the 'sorry' that broke Penelope's daze. Before she knew it, she was off her chair and scrambling after Tara. "Stop!" She called and Tara stopped in the doorway.

"There's mistletoe there," Penelope called and Tara startled, darting out from underneath it.

"Yes?" She asked, still looking up as if the mistletoe might attack her.

"I meant that you should stay there," Penelope said, reaching Tara finally.

"Sorry?" Tara stuttered, as Penelope pushed her under the mistletoe again.

Tara was the one kissed. Penelope did the kissing.

Tara's eyes closed and when she opened them, Penelope was still there.

"Can we...do this?" Penelope asked. "Because...it feels really good."

* * *

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Penelope
> 
> Date: December 17, 2013
> 
> Song: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams


	17. HotchxPenelope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Penelope
> 
> Date: December 17, 2013
> 
> Song: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

 

* * *

 _"There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of the Christmases long, long ago,"_ Penelope sang along with car radio as it blasted Christmas music.

She loved this time of year. Oh, god, she adored every little thing about it! The lights and the decorations; how everyone sang out happy holidays to each other.

And the music! She loved how the radio filled with cheery tunes that lifted her soul up and made her pray that the long ago promise of peace on earth, goodwill to men might finally be coming true. After all, she was doing her very best to help it along.

And so were her teammates.

As Penelope cruised down the highway, heading to work early in the morning, she thought of her most recent cases and sighed. Yes, it had to be admitted that nothing was quite going as planned lately. All of these contradicting notions and ideologies that decided to take form in people, crazed by desires and ambitions.

She never wanted to be like that. She never wanted the job to come before the family. She never wanted advancing in her job to come before having fun with it, and she knew that it never could.

She looked down at the seat next to her, at a tin of toffee for Alex; a tin of vodka-spiked fudge for Rossi; for Reid, JJ and Morgan, an assorted collection of goodies because they liked everything, and for Hotch, she had made Magic Cookie Bars, with a graham cracker crust, coconut and chocolate chips, and condensed milk poured on top before baking so that everything oozed together. For the other members in the unit, but not on 'the team', she'd made S'mores fudge, which was very good, if you asked her.

She was ready to pass out all of her goodies today, for everyone, because a few members of the unit were leaving early for the holidays and she didn't want anyone to be feeling left out.

So she was simply going to do it today.

* * *

Security was easy and the guard's only comment when looking through the tins was, "What, none for me?"

She beamed at him. "I'll bring you some tomorrow, Martin!"

"I'll count on it," he called as she walked briskly towards the BAU. Her bright blue pea coat was unbuttoned in the elevator; she loosened her magenta scarf once on the sixth floor, and her brilliant green tam o'shanter was off her head before she reached her den.

She hung everything up neatly and then dashed out to take a peek at the bullpen.

Garcia was usually the second one there in the morning. Only Hotch could beat her to work.

Surprisingly, his office light wasn't on. She stood for a moment in the bullpen, her green tights with red polka dots a sharp contrast to her yellow Converse high heeled, high top boots.

Her black and white dress swished against her legs as she momentarily started toward Hotch's office to double check before turning around and almost slamming into her boss.

"Hotch!" She exclaimed.

He stood behind her in the bullpen. "Sorry, I thought you heard me," he said. "I wasn't actually trying to give you a heart attack."

"No, sir, you didn't," Garcia said. "I was startled but not that much but I must have been kind of startled because now I'm rambling and that's not good."

"It's okay," he said simply, his eyes intent on her. God, he knew how to look at people. Even beyond the infamous Hotch glare that sent UnSubs everywhere cowering for cover, he knew how to look at people he cared about and was friends with and let them know, just by a gaze, that they really mattered to him through how intent he was; he really looked at each person he saw.

"Christmas is coming," Garcia said happily, folding her arms. "I'm getting revved up."

"I know the feeling," Hotch said. "Jack has been on Christmas overdrive these past few weeks. Ever since Thanksgiving, he's been asking when we're going to put up the outside lights, when we'll put up the tree, if Santa knows that Jack will be at his aunt's for Christmas...it's just crazy."

"At Jessica's?" Garcia asked. "What's that about?"

"Oh, I only just decided on that," Hotch said. "I'm going there too, I just wanted to make sure he got a 'real' family Christmas for once in his life."

"What about your family?" Garcia asked.

Hotch laughed. "I could never get Sean to come for Christmas," he said simply. "Come on, you've met him. You know that."

"Your parents?" Garcia edged.

His eyes clouded over, before clearing again as if he'd long ago managed to prevent them from changing his mood. He was too good at that, she reflected. He was way too good at hiding things, changing emotions.

"I don't have a relationship with them any more," he said simply. "Garcia, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this the day you were planning to give out your Christmas treats because Liz is leaving today and you didn't want anyone to feel left out?"

"Sir, it was! You remembered!" She exclaimed, actually a bit in awe of it since she didn't remember talking about it in front of him.

"I profiled," Hotch said, smiling. "I'll pick mine up at the end of the day. I don't want sugar clouding my brain today and if I take them before I'm leaving, I will not be able to resist."

"Yes," she managed to say, unable to add more in the face of Hotch's pure...mischievousness. She'd rarely seen him like this.

He touched her arm as he passed her, a light pat. She wondered at it, before scrambling off to her den.

* * *

She waited all day, while people came to visit her more than often. JJ was in awe of the Christmas cookies.

"You had time to completely home make all of these?" She asked, looking over the wonderful collection.

"Of course," Garcia replied.

"You're amazing," JJ replied, taking a biscotti and biting into it with sounds of appreciation.

Alex almost teared up when Garcia handed her the toffee. "You specially made some for me?" She asked.

"I was thinking to myself what you'd like," Garcia said. "I thought you'd appreciate dark chocolate, but with something a bit sweeter added to it. Not caramel though, you don't like to get sticky. So I settled on toffee."

"And you say you aren't a profiler," Alex said happily.

The others were, of course, very happy to get their treats, but at the end of the day, Garcia could only concentrate on one person...

Hotch. Would he like the Magic Cookie Bars? Would they be a hit or a miss? Would he say he'd never heard of them and secretly hate them even while he complimented her on them?

She had worked herself into a frenzy by five o'clock, her fingers flying over the keyboards in a panic induced state to get her mind off of Hotch.

She heard the door slide open and stiffened.

"I came with a present."

She heard his voice, silky and smooth.

"How lovely of you," she returned, whirling her chair to face him.

He held mistletoe.

"Sir?" She managed to say as he advanced on her.

"Stand up," he said.

"Really?" She squeaked, yanking her headset off.

He smiled at her. "I won't do it if you don't want me to."

"I do," she managed.

He smiled wider. "I thought so," he said, gently guiding her to the wall. There was a protruding nail there, which he perched the mistletoe on.

"That's left from the calendar I gave you," he mentioned.

"Sir, did you just trap me?" She wondered.

He just winked. And kissed her. Under the mistletoe.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Alex/Rossi
> 
> Date: December 18, 2013
> 
> Song: Undecided


	18. RossixAlex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Alex/Rossi
> 
> Date: December 18, 2013
> 
> Song: Christmastime is Here by Charlie Brown and his Friends
> 
> Also, I left the subject of James purposefully vague in all of Alex's one shots. You can kill him off yourself, if that's what you want, or he can simply never have existed, whatever you prefer. Or maybe this was just a bit of mischief for Alex.

 

* * *

Alex cleared her desk in a fit of frustration. Her arm swept across the surface and everything flew to the floor.

And her desk was clean, just like that.

She felt only momentary satisfaction. Now the mess was on the floor and that was even worse, she had to admit.

"You seem...ruffled."

There was a satisfied drawl behind her and she found herself sighing heavily.

"I am ruffled," she said simply. "Nothing went right today and Agent Shorful called me something equivalent to bitch in his mind."

Rossi's eyebrow jumped. "Agent _what_?"

"Don't worry about it," Alex replied, getting down on her hands and knees to pick up the mess. Utterly surprisingly, or maybe not surprising at all, was feeling Rossi's eyes on her ass when she did so.

Hmm. She could work with this. She needed _something_ relieve the utter misery of the day and messing with David Rossi's mind would definitely do.

"I was wondering," she said, picking the things up slowly and making sure to flex. A moment later he joined her on the floor to help her pick things up and she hid a grin.

"What were you wondering?" He asked, picking up a pencil sharpener.

She swept her hair back behind her ear. "What does the team usually do for Christmas? I'm going to be alone, as usual, this year."

"That's sad," he said simply.

"It wasn't until this year," Alex said. "With everyone doing different things...it's kind of lonely," she finished, grabbing a file.

"It isn't our best Christmas, admittedly," Rossi said. "Spencer's gone to visit Emily and I think he'll probably have the best time of us all."

"He probably will," Alex sighed. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Rossi wondered, picking up the last hair tie and handing it to her. He stood up before she did, crouched to take her handful of papers from her, placed it on the desk and then gave her a hand to help her up.

She tried to hide the devious twinkle in her eyes. "Did you have plans?" She asked innocently, rearranging the items on her desk.

"Not much of them," Rossi said. "The team _is_ getting together on Boxing Day to exchange gifts and just spend time together. I've got Christmas Eve with Garcia, doing some last minute shopping she weedled me into and then Christmas itself is completely empty." He shrugged, perching on the bare corner of her desk.

"In Japan, it's very important to have a date on Christmas Eve," Alex said. "It's like Valentine's day for us. You get it on with someone. Christmas itself isn't a holiday. Most people go to school and work."

Rossi raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad I'm not in Japan," he said simply.

"I kind of like the idea," Alex shrugged, feeling his eyes on her as she took the hair tie he'd given her and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. "You spend Christmas Eve with your...lover. It makes sense to me, but maybe that's because I don't really have close family."

"Now that you talk about it like that, it does," Rossi said. "If you don't have family, make it about your...lover."

She liked how he said the word the same way she had, pausing before it as though it was loaded; dangerous.

"Tomorrow's the unofficial ugly Christmas sweater day," Alex said. "Are you getting in on the fun?"

"I might," Rossi answered lazily, his eyes tracing her top half as though she were already wearing the sweater, before gracefully rising to her face again. He certainly knew how to check a woman out without insulting them.

"I have this brilliant one," Alex said. "It's green and red striped, and very soft, so it's nice to wear. What makes it ugly, though...well, you can wait and see."

"I bet it won't be ugly," he said. "Not if it's on you."

Despite the cheesiness, Alex found herself blushing. "You really think like that?" She wondered aloud.

"Of course I do," he said. "I never did like those anti-fraternization rules."

His hand grazed her shoulder.

She bit her lip, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You're doing that on purpose," he accused.

"What?" She dared.

"Talking about lovers on Christmas Eve," he said. "And getting on your hands and knees..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowed.

"Maybe I was," she breathed.

"You always did know how to flirt," Rossi murmured. "But I could never tell how sincere you were. You have a way of making a man feel like you want him desperately, but the next second, it's like there was never a spark to begin with."

"I'm hot and cold, is that what you're saying?" She asked, her hands stilling.

"I'm saying you're so hot you could melt gold," Rossi said. "But that heat isn't always directed at the right person."

She glanced up at him. "Who's the right person?"

"Me," he answered. "Is this supposed to be on your desk?"

"Is what?" She said, distracted, looking down at his hand.

He tutted his tongue at her and she jerked her head up, realizing that, somehow, she'd been tricked. His lips landed on hers the moment after she managed to catch sight of what he dangling above her head...mistletoe.

"You're one to talk," she panted, a moment later, after a very intense kiss. "You spent that whole conversation baiting me."

"Guilty," he replied, placing a finger on her chin to angle her head better.

"Are you actually shopping with Garcia on Christmas Eve?" She wondered aloud.

"Not the night," he answered, leaning in again. "Are you busy?"

"Not really," she said, kissing him this time. "I can wear my ugly Christmas sweater again."

"I thought it was ugly," he answered.

"Only when I wear other clothes with it," she chanced.

He laughed against her lips. "I've waited a long time to do this," he whispered.

* * *

After Rossi sent her off home, knowing that tomorrow would be another long day, he headed to Hotch's office, surprised that his friend was still there.

"I see you and Agent Blake got to know each other again this evening," Hotch said from behind a file.

"Your blinds were closed," Rossi said. "You didn't see anything."

"Of course I didn't," Hotch said, his lips twitching.

"Where does Agent Shorful work?" Rossi asked casually.

"Terrorism," Hotch replied. "Why?"

"I wanted to give Garcia more of a directive," Rossi said.

"For what?" Hotch asked.

"He needs to get transferred," Rossi said simply. "To Siberia, hopefully."

"Do we have offices there?" Hotch wondered.

"Exactly," Rossi said succinctly.

* * *

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Kate/Derek
> 
> Date: December 18, 2014
> 
> Song: This Christmas by Chris Brown


	19. KatexDerek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Kate/Derek
> 
> Date: December 18, 2014
> 
> Song: This Christmas by Chris Brown

 

* * *

On a cold day in December, Kate huddled by her desk, trying to make herself brave enough to go outside into the night. She was rubbing her hands together and breathing on them, since she hadn't brought gloves and the office was chillier after hours.

"You're still here," Derek Morgan stated as he walked into the room, carrying his coat.

"I am," she agreed. "My car takes forever to get warm and I'm just dreading going out in this weather."

"I know the feeling," he said.

"I thought you'd left," she said curiously.

"I did," he sighed. "I realized I'd forgotten something here. I turned around before I'd made it out of the gates at least."

"Ah," she said. " I suppose I should really get to this."

"I can start it for you," he offered. "Just give me your keys and you can meet me down there in five minutes."

"Thank you for the offer," she said. "But this is something I should do for myself."

They both laughed at her serious tone, and, as Kate started to the elevator, she paused, realizing that he was following. "Did you get what you forgot?" She inquired, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, yeah," he said, joining her by the elevators. "You should tie your scarf better, and then maybe you wouldn't be so cold."

"What do you mean?" Kate said, looking down at her knotted scarf.

Derek ably untied it and pulled it off of her neck, pulling it straight and then folding it over. He placed it around her neck, placing the ends into the loop created by the fold. "It doesn't come undone this way," he said softly, pulling it tight.

"Wow, you're a man of many talents," she said, feeling a blush on her cheeks. "I honestly didn't know that there was a better way to tie a scarf."

Derek grinned. "Since it's you, I'll tell you my secret," he said quietly. "I picked it up from Reid."

"Oh, I shouldn't be surprised," Kate said. "He knows everything, doesn't he?"

"He's a smart guy," Derek agreed. "I've picked up a lot of better techniques through him. Tying shoes, even."

"My very first day he told me about a better way to clean stains," Kate said. "I'd gotten some coffee on my shirt. It worked, and there wasn't even a residual stain."

"You really are clumsy, if you spilled coffee more than that time in the Cinderella case," Derek joked.

"I really am," Kate groaned. "I don't know how I do my job so well. My second day at the BAU offices, I went in to see Hotch about something and tripped on the door jamb. I think I made an entirely different impression on him as I tipped into the room."

"Hotch looks beyond things like coordination," Derek said. "Most of the time. And under pressure you do well."

"Thanks, I think," she said. "It's just when things are calm, I suppose."

"Your mind has to work to do boring things and gets lazy," Derek said.

"Exactly," she agreed. She quieted as they reached the ground floor and left the FBI buildings, going through security.

Once in the parking lot, Kate began to shiver again. "I didn't look at the forecast," she explained. "I know my coat looks warm, but it isn't my warmest and it's not warm enough."

Derek suddenly, surprisingly, wrapped his arms around her from behind, so that they could keep walking. "Is this better?" He asked. "I'd offer you my coat but both of us freezing would do no one any good."

She found herself wanting to snuggle down into his arms. "I think it's snowing," she called back to him.

"It looks like it," he agreed.

They reached her car, and he released her; she stepped from one foot to another, bouncing nervously. "Well, thank you," she said. "Merry Christmas, I guess. I suppose I'll see you again before then."

"Yeah, but it's nice to say it more than once," Derek said. "I...we could drive home in my truck," he said. "I could take you home, that is. If your car takes so long to heat up. Plus, your car doesn't look like it'd do well in snow."

She wondered if she was reading more into the proposal than was there. "Um, sure," she said. "My go bag is in the back seat, so I'll just grab it."

She clicked the doors open and dived inside, grabbing the bag and emerging quickly, locked the doors and followed along with him to his truck.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem," he answered.

They drove in silence to her apartment. Derek didn't ask for directions; the team had come over once for Thai food after a case.

"You remember the way," she said as they pulled up in front of it.

"I have a good memory," he said. "Especially when it's important things."

He started to unbuckle and she startled. "Are you..."

"I was thinking I'd carry your bag in," he said. "Just to the lobby so that you could keep your hands in your pockets."

She found herself blushing again. God, why did he have to be so charming all the time? So kind and lovely to every woman that crossed his path. It was a mark of his character but damn, it made it hard to tell what his interest meant.

She hopped out of the truck; it was quite a jump for her short legs. They hurried inside and were standing in the lobby that was decorated for the holidays.

Kate saw Derek's eyes cruising around the room, and realized where he was standing. She also realized that it would only be a few seconds before he, too, noticed it, and darted forward, pressing her lips to his, pulling away quickly.

He was staring at her, shocked.

"There's mistletoe above you," she explained. "I couldn't help it."

"Couldn't help what?" He asked.

She meant to answer, _pulling that sort of trick_ but the words changed on their way to her mouth. "Seeing what it would be like to kiss you."

"That was a damn poor example," he growled, dropped the bag and swung her into his arms, kissing her like he really meant it.

And you know what? He did, a fact that she was soon to learn.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Morgan/Savannah
> 
> Date: December 20, 2013
> 
> Song: So This is Christmas by John Lennon


	20. DerekxSavannah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Morgan/Savannah
> 
> Date: December 20, 2013
> 
> Song: So This is Christmas by John Lennon

 

* * *

He was going home to an empty apartment.

Derek reflected on the fact as he boarded the plane, feeling more than a little somber. This last case had hit him in the solar plexus, figuratively in that it was way too much like the past repeating itself, and literally, in that the UnSub's fiance had attacked him when she learned who it was; she'd tried to give him a fighting chance to get away.

Usually, Derek Morgan could handle something like that just fine, but the girl had possessed a brown belt in karate. He'd had no idea; half the pain was from the utter shock of her leg colliding with his (unvested) stomach.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Blake asked him, hovering over his shoulder.

"I'm fine, thanks," he assured her, settling into his seat.

"That was some blow you took," Rossi continued. "I thought she'd taken you out."

"I've rarely seen a look of pain like that on Morgan's face," Reid said, placing a quick hand on Derek's arm. "Are you really feeling fine?"

He tried to be irritated at their concern but he was just too damn tired. "I'm okay," he assured them all. "Thanks for asking."

"I bought you this," JJ's voice came from the back of the plane as she walked to his seat. "I saw it in the airport and I couldn't resist because I knew you wouldn't resist."

She handed him a candy bar: Baby Ruth.

He took it. "You're right about that, JJ," he said quietly. "Thanks."

She beamed at him, as if especially grateful that he was being cheerful and not drawing into himself. JJ had been the one standing there with him, of course. He remembered her cry as he went down and how she'd taken on the fiance after him.

Damn, she was a powerful woman.

The crazy thing was that the whole team had been standing there when it happened. They had gone to the fiance's house and the UnSub had been there. Their plan had been to play it cool, which they had, but when Rossi mentioned that it was Mark, Lucy hadn't waited.

She'd shoved Mark to the door in one motion before slamming her foot into Morgan's stomach.

Pain.

He remembered JJ's quick move that pinned Lucy to the ground. He remembered Hotch and Reid nabbing Mark. He remembered Blake helping him to his feet and Rossi's hand on his shoulder.

Pain overshadowed all of it.

All he wanted was to go home.

But he'd be going to an empty apartment.

He glanced around at his team, at the various, wonderful members. He wanted to say something like, _hey, you wanna come home with me tonight? I don't want to be alone._

He knew that they would understand. He knew that, at least, Garcia and Reid would pounce on the opportunity to spend a night ragging him.

But he couldn't, because then he'd have to explain _why_ he'd be alone.

_Where's Savannah?_

He wanted to be able to answer that question. But he couldn't.

It hurt too much.

* * *

_He remembered her words as she slipped out the door. "I'm spending Christmas with my family," she explained apologetically. "This is my first time in years that I've been able to get the time off. You understand, right, Der?"_

_"Sure," he answered easily, pulling her into his arms for a casual kiss. "You go where you need to go. Don't worry about me."_

_She smiled up at him; he noticed a touch of anxiety in her eyes that she quickly hid._

Her flight was today. She'd be long gone by the time he got home.

He looked out the window at the dark sky, feeling Hotch's gaze on him, sharp; Hotch was watching to make sure he was fine.

He turned away from the window; he could sense Hotch relax from where he was sitting across from him.

He didn't want to be alone. But neither did he want to explain why he would be.

* * *

He could tell that Reid was about to suggest it himself.

_Do you want company tonight?_

No, Reid would be more subtle.

_There's a movie I'd like to watch before Christmas comes. It seems like tonight's the last possible night._

Yeah, that was what he'd say.

He even saw Reid's lips mouth the words but Morgan had already walked too far away for him to start speaking.

* * *

When he got home, the light was on.

Had Savannah dropped in to grab something she'd forgotten and left the light on?

He felt a frown on his face as he unlocked the door, and when he opened it, he wasn't sure what to think.

Had Garcia been here?

His apartment was fully decorated for Christmas, from lights to a miniature tree, to presents stacked beneath it, to mistletoe in _all_ of the doorways.

"Hello?" He called, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

He couldn't help it; he drew his gun from his go bag and cautiously walked through the room, vetting it. He felt the hair on his neck prickle and he turned around.

His heart leapt into his throat and he dropped the gun.

"You're late," Savannah said, standing in the doorway.

"You're...not supposed to be here," he spoke through a lump in his throat. It was so good to see her. He could barely believe it.

"I know," she said, not walking forward. "I delayed my flight with Garcia's help. She told me about your tough case and I didn't want you to be alone."

"Why are you still standing there?" He asked. "Are you hiding something?"

"Mistletoe," she said simply. "I was waiting for you to take advantage of it."

"Oh!" He exclaimed and leapt forward. He almost felt like crying as he kissed her under the mistletoe, as he pulled her close, as close as he could.

So it was Christmas.

He could handle it now.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: JJ/Will
> 
> Date: December 21, 2015
> 
> Song: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (any version you choose!)


	21. JJxWill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: JJ/Will
> 
> Date: December 21, 2015
> 
> Song: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (any version you choose!)
> 
> Traditionally, Christmas doesn't technically start until the 25 AND it lasts until February 2.

 

* * *

JJ sat at her desk in her office, her mind anywhere but on her work.

Her desk was cluttered with files, and her office itself was messy compared to how it usually was.

Next to her elbow saw the pictures that Garcia had arranged, of Henry and Michael, her two precious boys.

Her other elbow bumped a picture of Will and she smiled.

Make that _three_ precious boys.

She heard the bustle of the bullpen and gave up on her work, abandoning her desk in favor of her coworkers who'd just returned from lunch.

"Was the food good?" She asked. Rossi had treated the rest of the team; only JJ and Tara Lewis had declined.

"It was great," Garcia enthused. She pressed a brief kiss to Rossi's cheek in thanks. "Thank you, Rossi. Now I have to run back to my cave."

She waved at them and went hurrying away, high heels clipping.

"It was a good time," Reid said. "A nice welcome back to the team." He smiled around the room. "Much better than going on a case."

"I'll agree with that," JJ said, but slipped back into her office when everyone started to get back to work.

She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, what she thought might bring her mind back to work, when her phone buzzed. It was Will.

_I have a surprise for you, darling._

**What?**

_Just pay attention to the happenings outside of your office._

She texted back but to no avail. Will was refusing to spoil the surprise any more. She wondered what he'd meant...maybe he was sending flowers? She wouldn't be surprised. He'd taken to doing that while she was pregnant with Michael, perhaps at the physical manifestation of what their relationship meant to them.

She looked out her window, expecting to see a florist's delivery person, but there was no one there that shouldn't have been, so she decided that he must have meant later, so she turned back to work, picking up a file and heaving a sigh. It was time to make a phone call she wasn't looking forward to in the slightest.

She picked up her phone, dialing the number.

"Hello?"

"This is Special Agent Jennifer Jareau with the FBI," she answered. "I told you I'd be calling."

She zoned out of the conversation as much as she was able, listening to their answers and jotting them down dutifully on a legal pad.

It was at the end of the conversation, when twenty minutes had gone by, that she idly looked out the window again.

"I have to go," she said suddenly, cutting them short. "I think I have enough information. Thank you so much for agreeing to speak with me."

"Well, of course."

She hung up the phone and lunged for her office door, her day suddenly twice as bright.

Her _three_ precious boys were walking into the bullpen. Well, two of them were walking. Michael was held tight against Will's chest in a sling, and Will seemed blissfully aware that he had the perfect accessory.

All of their eyes lit up when she exited her office. Henry ran forward and threw his arms around her legs, and JJ picked him up, swinging him into her arms and squeezing tight.

"This was a good surprise!" She exclaimed, walking to meet Will.

"I wanted to see you, and the boys did too," he replied, his eyes sparkling. "You always look so hot when you're workin'."

JJ blushed, feeling the old spark she'd felt when he'd said something similar in a bar in New Orleans.

"Come to my office for a minute," JJ said. "Then we can go around and show Michael off to everyone."

Will followed obligingly. JJ loved this, walking around, each of them holding a boy. She loved her family.

"Why your office?" Will asked casually.

"Because I have mistletoe in here, and it's time for me to kiss my boys hello," JJ said, planting a kiss squarely on Henry's nose.

"Mommy!" He exclaimed, almost wiping it away.

"I love you, Henry," she said, and carefully took Michael from his sling. He looked up at her with big eyes and she pressed several kisses all over his face. "I'm never going to get over you," she whispered, and then met her husband's eyes.

The temperature in the room seemed to rise. God, he could always do that to her, even after so long. "Will," she whispered, moving forward.

"I like mistletoe, if it reminds you to act like this," he whispered.

She suddenly remembered how exactly Michael had been conceived and blushed, moving into Will's arms. Michael between them, they still managed to get in quite a passionate kiss under her mistletoe.

"Wait a minute," Will said, breaking away. "How did there come to be mistletoe in your office in the first place, darlin'?"

She shrugged, kissing him again. "Christmas elves," she said, and grabbed Henry's hand. "Come on. Let's go show you off."

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Hotch/Haley
> 
> Date: December 22, 2005
> 
> Song: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (the version you prefer)


	22. HotchxHaley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Haley
> 
> Date: December 22, 2005
> 
> Song: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (the version you prefer)
> 
> If you want, you can think of this as being in the same universe as Day One, and it gives you a completely different twist on the one shot. But if you ignore it, that's cool too. Then it's just Haley being sweet and Hotch loving her for it.

 

* * *

He heard the sudden hush in the bullpen and inwardly smiled. He knew why it was. He knew what would come next.

Indeed, just seconds later came exclamations, cooing, awing.

Haley was here with Jack.

Hotch stood up and exited his office, pausing at the scene.

Garcia, Haley, JJ and Elle were standing by the stroller; Jack was currently in JJ's arms, who had a look of peacefulness on her face seldom seen on the young liaison's features.

Garcia was staring intently over JJ's shoulders, obviously itching to grab Jack and cradle him close.

Haley was smiling wide to be in the midst of this loving circle and even tough-as-nails Elle's features had softened; her heart melted by the sweetness of Jack Hotchner.

Hotch hurried down the steps and Haley broke away from the group to meet the brief kiss he planted on her lips in welcome.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked, putting an arm around her. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"I wanted to surprise you," Haley said happily. "You've been working so hard recently, Aaron. You deserved a Christmas surprise."

"I have been working," he answered as Jack was carefully passed to Garcia. He felt supreme happiness as he held his wife to his side; at watching his son being praised and cuddled close.

These were the good moments in life.

"I did have something to talk to you about," Haley began. "I don't know if you'd have time for that, so it's okay if you don't."

"Privately?" Hotch murmured, studying Jack as carefully as he could.

"Yeah, that's be nice," she returned.

Gideon had emerged from his office by then. "Aha! I knew I heard a good noise! Can I hold him next?" He asked, hurrying over the group as if to stake his claim.

"I'm next," Elle challenged, and Gideon pulled a face.

"Come on, I've got more on my plate right now," he said. "Just really quick."

"Fine," Elle sighed, but a smile twitched as though she didn't really mind letting Gideon go first.

Garcia transferred Jack to Gideon and Gideon looked down in wonder. "I can never fully believe that someone so tiny can become someone so…" He looked at Hotch. "Tall."

Hotch laughed. "I need to speak to Haley in my office. Don't drop him now."

"Of course not," Gideon cooed.

Hotch spotted Reid coming into the bullpen and idly wondered how the young genius would react to the baby Hotchner before taking Haley's hand and happily leading her to his office and shutting the door behind them.

"What's going on?" He asked, automatically moving behind his desk and dropping her hand.

The startled look on Haley's face made him rethink his actions.

"It's just instinct," he rushed to say but she shook her head, waving down his attempt at getting up again.

"It doesn't matter," she smiled, sitting carefully in the chair across from him. "It's fun to see you in your work environment."

"Is it?" He wondered.

"You look hot," Haley answered and Hotch almost blushed, returning to his high school days when a compliment from Haley Brooks meant…everything to him.

"Um, thanks," he said.

She smiled again. "There's just this thing that's been bugging me lately," she began. "I know that your team spends more time with you than I do and that's totally fine, but at the holiday party a few days ago, you got a very well thought out present from Dr. Reid and, Aaron, I don't actually know what to get you for this Christmas. I was thinking about it and you haven't mentioned anything you want or need and it was just jarring to see that your coworker knows you better than I do."

"He's a teammate," Hotch automatically corrected. "Not quite just a coworker."

Haley sighed. "Yes, but that's not the question."

"Of course it isn't," Hotch said. "God, Haley. I never told you what I wanted because I don't really want anything. Not anything material. I'd like every boy and girl in America to grow up to be sane citizens that never murder anyone but you can't get me that. I…I don't really ask for gifts."

"You did before this year," Haley said softly.

Hotch opened his mouth to combat this but found that her statement was true. "I just haven't been thinking about Christmas," he confessed, the words sounding lame to his own ears, though they were true.

"Well, we're going to my dad and mom's house," Haley said expectantly.

"Of course," Hotch agreed.

"You really don't want anything?" She asked, her voice resigned.

"Get me something…" He was going to say useful but suddenly changed his mind. "Fun. Like lingerie."

Her eyes widened and she was suddenly laughing. "Of course you'd ask for something that I would be the one using," she said. "Okay, Aaron. Sexy underwear it is."

She stood up and he accompanied her out into the bullpen, where the baby-admiring group had suddenly turned into the staring-at-Hotch's-office group.

"You guys have to kiss!" Elle exclaimed.

"Pardon?" Haley asked.

"Morgan snuck mistletoe above your door," Gideon said. "You guys are standing right beneath it."

His team looked on expectantly. Hotch shrugged and turned to Haley.

She had an odd look on her face, but then she smiled wide, turning to lace her arms behind his neck. "Merry Christmas, Aaron," she whispered.

He kissed her instead of returning the greeting.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Reid/Morgan
> 
> December 23, 2015
> 
> Song: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (choral version)


	23. ReidxMorgan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Reid/Morgan
> 
> December 23, 2015
> 
> Song: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (choral version)
> 
> And I just couldn't help sneaking in a little more Hotch/Kate as we wound down...and Jemily too. And Penelope/Tara.

 

* * *

It had been so long...so many years had gone by...

They were finally together, come what may.

Spencer looked at his one true love and felt like sighing from the utter contentment he felt at being the one sleeping next to Derek Morgan.

He reached over, as if his body needed a physical reminder of the fact. He placed his hand on Morgan's shoulder, letting it slide up to Derek's neck.

"I love you," he whispered to the sleeping man.

* * *

Work that day was a bit loopy. No one's mind was really concentrating on the serial killers, or the files they needed to do, or anything truly office related.

JJ had fully given up on getting any work done; she was camped out with Garcia and doing...who knew what.

Rossi was in his office, but Reid had been in there to ask him a question, and he would have bet money that Rossi was texting with Joy more than he was doing any work.

Morgan was in his office; Reid knew better than to go in there while they were both supposed to be working. Hotch had given them the 'okay' but there was no reason to flout their relationship and break rules. As long as it was under the radar...

As long as it _never_ got in the way of work...

Reid found himself reluctantly smiling to remember how often it _did_ get in the way of work, though. The sight of Derek's ass in a pair of jeans completely distracted Reid from any work he'd been planning to do, unless he was in really deep figuring out a new UnSub's mind. It took a lot for Reid to not be distracted.

But Derek...somehow, he managed to keep his hands (and eyes, by extension) to himself during tough cases.

Which was funny, because before they'd been out...before they'd truly admitted to themselves what was happening...it had been the opposite.

Derek couldn't keep his hands off of Reid during cases to save his life. He never groped him, or anything, but Reid couldn't count the number of times he remembered Derek's hand sliding up his arm, resting on his shoulder, casually slinging around him as they headed to their rooms...

And Reid had always shrugged it off, not wanting to admit to it.

But when their relationship had come to fruition, and become public, it had reversed. Suddenly Reid was the one who couldn't keep his hands to himself and Derek was always frustratingly in control of himself.

Reid didn't want to admit it but he hated it.

Therefore, only Hotch, Tara and Derek were getting any work done. (Well, he wasn't sure about Derek but he just had to assume because going in there would make certain the fact that he and Derek weren't going to get any work done that afternoon.)

Hotch, always the workaholic, was holed up in his office, having stated quite firmly at the beginning of the day that he wanted _no_ disturbances; that he had files to complete before the year's end and the first person to enter his office...

He had trailed off quite ominously, leaving JJ to dash off to Garcia's office first thing once she realized that as long as Hotch could get his own work done, he didn't really care if the rest of his team slacked off, just a little.

Everything could wait until Monday, if need be.

Even so, Reid plucked the pile of files off of JJ's desk when he passed her office and steeled himself to get his files, and JJ's, done before the end of the day. She deserved that.

Ever since he'd returned from Vegas, he'd felt mild guilt over leaving the team. They had needed him. JJ was so tired lately, and he'd ducked out on them, leaving a team member short again.

And Derek. He felt even more guilt that he'd momentarily been peeved with Derek for refusing to go with him, before he realized just how much more the team needed him.

Reid sighed as he swept through the files, knowing that he needed to start pulling his weight again, and not minding it.

Though, truly, if the team really had needed another member, Hotch could have called Kate in on an advisory capacity. The only reason she'd returned to Andi Swann's team was that she and Hotch were in a relationship and Hotch didn't want to endanger the Unit by being in a relationship with his subordinate.

He could let Derek and Reid slide only because they weren't in charge.

He could not let his own relationship slide.

Kate had understood though.

And she still stopped by as much as she was able.

Speaking of, Reid glanced up from his file stack to hear Tara warning Kate away from Hotch's office.

"You might not want to go in just now," Tara suggested, her eyes twinkling nonetheless as the shorter agent paused outside of Hotch's door.

"Why not?" Kate wondered, her smile twinkling back.

"He's a bit busy and warned everyone away," Tara said.

"Ah," Kate said. "I am not everyone."

"True enough," Tara grinned and Kate turned the knob to Hotch's office.

The exchange couldn't be heard but Kate was in there far longer than a simple reprimand would have taken, and when she finally did exit, she was far too ruffled and flushed to have been chewed out.

Reid sighed, sinking down at his desk. How much he wanted to go to Derek's office right now.

Right. Now.

Just go in and throw himself into Derek's arms, melting into the other man...

Reid snapped his head up to realize that JJ was standing at his desk and that hours had gone by.

"You did my files," she stated.

"I did," he answered.

"I should yell at you, but I'm too relieved that I don't have to go in on the twenty-sixth," JJ said. "Thank you, Spence."

She gave him a quick hug from above, and he could smell her perfume.

"Now I get to spend twenty-four more hours with Emily," JJ whispered. "Precious time. Thank you, Spence."

"You're welcome," he said. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," JJ said warmly.

Reid realized that, as he'd completed the files and daydreamed of Derek, the rest of the afternoon had gone by.

Penelope had also wandered from her office, Reid idly watched as she made her way over to Tara.

The two talked for a moment before Tara jumped to her feet, shoved the rest of her things in a bag, and then the two stopped at Reid's desk.

"Well, we're off," Penelope said happily, snaking her hand into Tara's. "Merry Christmas, Reid."

"Merry Christmas," Tara echoed, squeezing Penelope's hand tight. "Go talk to Derek. I bet he's ready for you now."

"Ready?" Reid asked.

"Whoops, there's half the surprise," Penelope giggled. "At least it was you, and not me."

The two hurried off, giddy to be together.

Rossi came out his office and he was smiling as he moved down the stairs.

"I am going to spend Christmas with Joy after all," he said, satisfaction in his voice.

"It worked out!" Reid exclaimed. "That's great!"

"I'm supremely grateful to a travel agent named Marlene," Rossi agreed. "Merry Christmas, Reid."

"Merry Christmas," Reid replied.

As he watched Rossi leave, he felt a tickle of desire start, deep in his stomach.

What was Derek planning?

He carefully pushed his chair back, and then in as he left. He took his messenger bag and his scarf and headed over to Derek's office, his whole body tingling from excitement.

But when he got there, it was dark. No lights were lit.

He felt disappointment crush him. Surely Derek hadn't gone home alone!

He pushed the door open but that further proved that Derek was not in his office.

Still, he futilely called his name. "Derek?" He said as he moved into the dark office.

The door behind him slammed and suddenly he was being pinned against the wall, his bag falling to the floor. He smelled cologne, inhaled deeply and felt satisfaction seep into his veins as Derek Morgan's lips met his.

"What's this about?" Reid managed to say.

"I had mistletoe," Derek whispered, his voice deliciously gravelly and deep. "And I went to your desk to hang it over your head but you weren't at your desk. So I came back here, heart breaking, and there you were, all vulnerable and..." His voice trailed off as he kissed Reid again.

Now Reid realized why Derek had pinned his hands above his head; he felt the prickle of the mistletoe clutched in Derek's hand.

"I'm under the mistletoe," Reid chuckled, during the kiss, and Derek groaned against his lips.

And then...then he didn't think much about it after that.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Rossi/JJ
> 
> December 24, 2010
> 
> Song: O Holy Night by Celine Dion


	24. RossixJJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Rossi/JJ
> 
> December 24, 2010
> 
> Song: O Holy Night by Celine Dion

 

* * *

JJ still wasn't sure how exactly she'd made it back to the States for Christmas. And she especially wasn't sure why she was going to the BAU instead of home.

Home, where Will and Henry were, with no idea that she was here.

She felt guilt at that, but the thud of her heart against her chest made her dismiss it.

She was going to see _him_.

And she couldn't help but want that more, at the moment.

She'd spend the whole next day; week, with Will and Henry.

But the BAU had no idea that she was _that_ far gone. It only made sense to visit them like she'd been going home to Will and Henry every night.

Otherwise...profilers figured things out too easily.

She walked through the doors of the BAU, surprised her badge had worked.

She headed into the bullpen knowing that chances were slim that anyone would still be here at this hour. (In fact, that was one of the reasons that she'd given into the urge she'd felt at the airport, with the taxi driver asking where to.)

She felt a lump in her throat rise as she dropped her bags on the floor. Not having much faith in taxi drivers, she'd taken them with her.

She closed her eyes, imagining it busy with motion, lit with the light of day, full of people...full of men and women she loved...one man she loved more than most.

" _Cuore_?"

JJ squeezed her eyes even tighter shut, thinking that her imagination was so strong that it had summoned _him_ here.

It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was then that she felt arms close around her in a tight... _tight_...embrace.

"David!" She gasped.

"Don't speak, it makes it too real," he whispered into her hair and she choked back a sob.

"I...I'm back," she told him. "That is..." _I went on a business trip. Of course I'm still working for the Pentagon._

"I know exactly what you mean," he returned. "I have to say it now, Jennifer, or I may never say it."

"What?" She breathed.

"I love you," he said, so quietly she wasn't sure whether or not she'd only just imagined it. "Like a man who loves a woman would give up his life for her. I _hate_ what you're going through."

"How do you _know_ what I'm going through?" She managed to say, her lips near his ear.

"I know everything," he said.

"You know Erin," JJ replied.

"I keep up on things," was David's quick rejoinder. "And nothing gets past me when I don't want it to."

She moved her hands up on his back, up to his shoulders. "I love you too, but there's Will. And Henry...I...I didn't know you then."

"I know," he whispered soothingly. "It's fine. I'm not asking you to do anything you aren't prepared to do. And I know that you want to go home this Christmas... _need_ to. And you should, _cuore_."

"Kiss me," JJ suddenly whispered.

"I can't," he said, his voice raw. "You know why I can't. I wouldn't be able to let you go if I did."

"Morgan always put up mistletoe somewhere around here," she whispered back, frustrated. "Don't tell me he didn't keep that tradition."

"I always loved your fierceness," he returned. "So well hidden."

"Where's the mistletoe?" She begged.

"I'll take you there," he promised. He parted from her, his arm still around her waist. JJ leaned into the embrace, feeling almost hung over.

He led her over to a corner of the office. "Hotch moved it to a more quiet place this year," he whispered. "Too much trouble last year."

"You mean, too much of us pretending it was an accident we were beneath it together?" JJ whispered back.

Their lips were close. She could feel his breath.

"You have to go," he said. "Right after we do this. Otherwise..."

"I know," she said, and their lips met, in the usual clash of passion, lust, desire...love. Hidden but deeply true love.

He pulled away, his fingertips on her cheeks. "You should go."

"Just a second," she gasped. "Why were you even here?"

"I was killing time on my way to midnight Mass," he returned and she forced herself to leave, fleeing, grabbing her bags as she went.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Reid/Hotch
> 
> December 23 and 25, 2015
> 
> Song: Justin Bieber's Mistletoe covered by Megan Nicole on YouTube


	25. ReidxHotch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Reid/Hotch
> 
> December 23 and 25, 2015
> 
> Song: Justin Bieber's Mistletoe covered by Megan Nicole on YouTube

 

* * *

Tara was the first, not counting Reid, to arrive.

"You're here early," Reid observed, raising an eyebrow as she alighted from the elevator.

"I am," she agreed. "Wicked doesn't wait. I have sixteen reports, and I'm not exaggerating, to get out before Christmas." She paused. "Wait. Wait. I recognize this. I know this."

She grinned. "You're standing under mistletoe, Dr. Reid," she accused, stepping forward with her hands on her hips.

"I am indeed," Reid said.

"I've heard of this," she joked. "In jobs that aren't as hectic as ours are…people use it to have a bit of fun."

"Yes," he agreed. "Care to try?"

"Merry Christmas, Dr. Reid," she said, enfolding him in a hug instead. "Seeing you this early almost made this day worth it. Thank you."

"I didn't know the sight of my face brought so much cheer," he said, returning the hug.

"It does," she said. "We really needed you while you were gone. I'm so glad you're back." She pulled away. "How's your mother doing, by the way?"

He paused before answering. "Well, she's not doing as well as anyone would hope but she's doing better than I originally thought so I think the visit went fairly well."

"Good," Tara said thoughtfully. "Schizophrenia is a nasty thing. The way it comes and goes…" She shook her head. "You're a good man, Spencer Reid."

* * *

Garcia came scrambling out of the bathroom a few minutes after Tara's entrance into the bullpen. She was fully dressed and fully made up. Reid wondered exactly how long she'd been in there, putting on her face for the day.

She was so brave. She was holding up so well. He was so proud of her.

She saw him standing there. "Reid! You're here already!" She started towards him before pausing. "Whoa, wait a second. I remember this! You're standing under the mistletoe! Like you did, what ten years ago?"

"I thought it was time for a reprisal," he told her.

"Oh, Reid!" She exclaimed, dancing up to him and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "I missed you. So much. I know you've been home but this is my first chance for an uninterrupted hug."

"Tara seemed to also have that thought," Reid told her.

"Tara's here, too?" Garcia exclaimed. "And here I thought I was all alone still!" She pressed a kiss to his cheek; he knew there would be lipstick there but, unlike ten years ago, he felt no need to wipe it off.

"I'm so proud of you, Penelope," Reid said quietly. "For handling this so well."

His friend's eyes filled with tears. "Why'd you have to make me cry?" She mumbled, pulling him into another hug. "Thank you," she whispered against his shoulder. "It's really hard."

"Everyone is saying how well you're holding up," Reid assured her, patting her back.

"And here you're supposed to be the awkward one," Garcia joked, taking off her glasses to dab at her eyes. "I love you, Reid. I love everyone but you're the nicest sometimes. Although, sometimes it is Hotch. Or Morgan. Or JJ. Or Rossi. Or Kate, or Emily or Tara…" She trailed off. "I love you all."

"And we love you," Reid reminded.

"Again with the crying!" She complained. "I'm going to my office to be weepy alone."

* * *

JJ got there next, a look of complete tiredness on her face, which changed to delight when she saw him.

"Are you waiting for me?" She asked, walking quickly forward. He reflected on how much she'd changed over the years…her outfit too. Today she was wearing a nice, but casual, sweater and comfortable rather than fashionable pants. Not that she didn't look good. JJ always looked good.

"Sort of," he said. "It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you back, Spence," she whispered.

"Your observation skills aren't very sharp today, hmm?" He asked.

"What?" She exclaimed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Look around you," he hinted.

Her gaze traveled the room, not even touching on him. He laughed out loud, which brought her attention back to him. "What?" She asked.

"Mistletoe, above my head," he nudged, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "You completely missed it, Jennifer."

"Jennifer?" She asked, giving his cheek a brush with her lips in return.

"I thought I'd be a bit more formal," he joked.

"You're a rascal, Spence," JJ said. "But you certainly know how to brighten a girl's morning."

* * *

Derek was next, holding a hand to his head.

"Are you okay?" Reid asked, leaning against the door with his arms folded.

"Let's give a hypothetical scenario where I was not okay because of drinking games played with one's girlfriend," Derek said, flinching from the lights.

"Hypothetical," Reid stated.

"Completely," Derek warned. "Do not spread that around."

"When would I ever do that?" Reid asked, an evil grin playing at his lips.

"Any damn time I ever told you not to spread something around," Derek groused, but he smiled. "Hold on a second. I recall that you've done this before."

"You didn't take the bait then, Derek," Reid said.

"And you think I might take it now?" Derek asked. "Especially since…" His voice trailed off. "Will Hotch approve of these antics?"

"I looked in the code book and there is nothing about kissing under mistletoe," Reid said. "It is not sexual harassment because I am not forcing or persuading anyone to kiss me. I am just giving them a chance."

"Generous to a fault, Dr. Reid," Derek said. "Okay, fine, though you just dodged a mighty big bullet."

He leaned in and pressed a hasty kiss to Reid's cheek. "I suppose Rossi would say it meant nothing anyway."

"Gideon would say it was a pity that kissing was so sexualized these days," Reid commented. "In that men should be able to kiss other men in a gesture of fondness and not sexual attraction."

"Are you daring me?" Derek asked in frustration.

"No, you got your kiss," Reid said, putting his hands up. "No repeats allowed."

"You drive me nuts," Derek complained and walked into the BAU bullpen, clapping Reid on the shoulder as he went. "But it's damn good to have you back."

Reid's response was an impish grin.

* * *

Hotch and Rossi entered together and Reid was glad to see them.

"You guys are late," Reid said simply.

"We had a meeting pertaining to the Dirty Dozen with an interesting informant," Rossi explained.

"It went surprisingly better than I thought it would," Hotch said, folding his arms as he looked at Reid.

Reid found himself straightening, pushing himself off of the wall to stand upright.

"Is this mistletoe?" Rossi asked, a suspicious tone in his voice.

"It might be," Reid said.

"And are you, possibly, standing underneath it intentionally?" Rossi continued.

"Possibly," Reid said. "I would hope I was, though, because I've been kissed by almost everyone who's walked through these doors."

He saw Hotch's eyes flash.

"There's nothing in the rule book against it," he continued. "It doesn't fall under sexual harassment because I am not forcing anyone's hand."

"Or lips," Rossi said dryly. "Oh well. I could do with a trip back to Italy in customs."

He kissed Reid on both cheeks, cupping his face in his hands. "Merry Christmas," he said. "And I don't want to know how many other people kissed you first or how many germs I'll have now."

"I wouldn't do that to you!" Reid said.

"I don't want the information," Rossi agreed.

"I disinfected between each," Reid explained.

"Ever the romantic," Rossi said, rolling his eyes. "Well, Hotch, you going or not?"

Hotch's arms were still folded. "Not." He said flatly and walked through the open door beside Reid.

Rossi raised an eyebrow. "You're in for it now, Doctor," he said. "Good luck appeasing him."

"I'll do okay," Reid assured Rossi.

"I don't doubt that," Rossi joked and made his way into the BAU bullpen.

* * *

That evening found Reid again lurking under the mistletoe, waiting for a development. Was Hotch going to leave his office or not?

Reid had almost given up, despite the fact that tomorrow was Christmas Eve so today could be his last chance.

He'd moved away from the door; even snagged a chair so that he could take the mistletoe down, when the door to Hotch's office swung open and Hotch emerged, looking tired.

Reid shoved the chair back at its desk and scrambled back in to position. Hotch was making his way steadily down the stairs and through the bullpen.

"I'll give you one last chance."

From the look on Hotch's face, you'd think he hadn't noticed Reid standing there, but the young genius had a hard time believing that of the almost omniscient Unit Chief.

"Reid, I think next year might find the BAU with a new ban on mistletoe usage," Hotch said, his voice whisper soft and dangerous.

Reid raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how that follows," he countered.

Hotch stepped forward, advancing on him once again. "I don't like seeing you kiss everyone."

"You weren't even watching," Reid said blithely.

"No more mistletoe," Hotch warned, stepping past Reid.

"Aaron..." The word slipped out without Reid meaning it to. It conveyed longing and sadness that Hotch hadn't taken Reid up on his offer.

"You know me too well," Hotch returned, and his briefcase dropped to the floor. Reid was pushed against a wall and kissed under the mistletoe.

* * *

On Christmas Day, he woke up next to his fiance. They'd been engaged for six months now, and everyone at the BAU was ecstatic for them.

Reid was the happiest of all.

Said fiance stirred next to him, rolled over and faced Reid.

"I think Jack might be getting up," he whispered. "Let's go investigate the tree with him."

"He definitely won't start without his father," Reid agreed.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Emily/Reid
> 
> December 26, 2015
> 
> Song: Spirit of the Season from The Polar Express original soundtrack


	26. ReidxEmily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Emily/Reid
> 
> December 26, 2015
> 
> Song: Spirit of the Season from The Polar Express original soundtrack
> 
> A few notes about what would be the current team. This follows my other Spemily chapter.
> 
> Kate was hired to replace Spencer when he left in what would have been mid season 8.
> 
> Blake never left the team.
> 
> Kate left in what would have been the end of season 10 for the same reasons as Canon.
> 
> Tara joined in early season 11.

 

* * *

Emily placed a hand on her stomach but then burst out laughing. "I keep forgetting that I'm not pregnant and fat anymore," she giggled as she looked into the web cam.

"It's a bit weird for me, too," Garcia agreed. "You were pregnant, Em! And I missed it."

"You didn't miss it," Emily soothed. "You were there every step of the way that you could be. Via web cam."

"I know," Garcia sighed. "It's not the same."

"You love all things tech, Pen," Emily reminded.

"I am coming right after New Year's," Garcia said. "I bought my tickets. I am coming over to see you, Spencer, Nicholas and Holly ASAP. I will never forgive myself for missing their birth."

"You were busy," Emily said. "And everyone understands that. This Dirty Dozen is messing everything up but you're coming here _now_ and we'll be fine."

"How's Reid?" Garcia interrupted.

"He was on diaper and bottle duty last night so he ended up sleeping in," Emily told her. "He's a bit tired."

"The twins are a handful, huh?" Garcia said. "Well, they are twins. I thought you guys were going to do it '200% together' though."

"Well, we are," Emily said, chuckling. "But sometimes it shifts."

"I guess it would," Garcia said. "Whoops, I have another call. It's probably Tara about the current case. No, it's Blake. Gotta go."

She hung up and disappeared from the screen in front of Emily.

Emily pushed her chair back from the computer desk and left the study, going along to the nursery where her twins slept.

_Twins._

She had _never_ even thought of having twins. The idea hadn't crossed her mind in the many (and there were many!) steamy sessions with Spencer before she conceived. She knew that they weren't using contraception intentionally, since Em was about to cross into the 'now or never' territory.

With baby had come wedding. The current team (Hotch, Morgan, Blake, JJ, Garcia) had flown out in July for Spencer and Emily's wedding. Kate would have come to but it was just about the time she was due. Indeed, little Jamie Callahan had been born only two days after the wedding. Emily remembered receiving the news while on her honeymoon and remembered it fondly.

Nicholas woke up with a soft babble that only babies can make. Emily scooped her son into her arms, cradling him close. "You're going to be hungry soon," she reflected, opening her shirt. "And I'd better get you filled up before your sister awakes."

Nicholas latched on immediately and Emily roamed the apartment as she nursed the baby, looking at the Christmas decorations that still stood all over the apartment.

Her first Christmas as a married mother of twins had astounded her by how utterly perfect it was, in nontraditional ways. She'd done nothing huge. She hadn't lost all of the baby weight by any means.

But she'd spent time with Spencer, _her_ Spencer, and her kids.

That was more than enough in Emily's book, after her years of spending Christmas alone.

She looked outside at the snowy world. London was in the throws of a very rare blizzard, and the whole city had kind of stopped for it. She loved how weather could do this. How no matter how important people's plans were, simple weather could throw everything out of whack, remind everyone for a moment that they weren't in charge.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned from the window to see Spencer exiting the bedroom, his hair sticking up at crazy angles.

"I love your bedhead," Emily said.

He turned bleary eyes to see her. "Hey, the twins are up?" He yawned, stepping over to see his son.

"Thanks to you, I got a very good sleep last night," Emily told him, and when he got in reach, used her free arm to pull him close and kiss him deeply.

He returned the kiss.

"I have morning breath," he protested, his hand covering hers as he gently pulled away.

"I don't mind," she said, keeping him near to her.

"Well, then neither do I," he said and kissed her again.

Holly's cries split the air. Spencer pulled away.

"I'll do it," Emily said. "I'll put Nicky down and see to Holly. You need to get some coffee inside of you."

"I suppose I do," Spencer agreed, patting her arm.

Emily headed to the nursery, and when Holly saw her mother's face, her cries ceased momentarily, at least long enough for Nicholas to be burped so that she could settle him back in his crib before picking up her daughter.

"Oh, you need a diaper change," she murmured and took care of it before heading back into the main apartment, going to the kitchen.

"Penelope apologized for missing Christmas," Emily told Spencer. "Again. She told me that she was bringing about two dozen gifts _each_ for Holly and Nicky and it was all I could do to remind her that they are only two months old and won't remember them or play with them all that much."

"What did she say?" Spencer asked, filling the coffee pot with water.

"She told me that gifts could keep," Emily chuckled. "That some things were timeless."

Spencer chuckled. "That sounds like her," he agreed. "So. I already got a call from Easter. There's no way I can go into work today and he dismissed me from at-home work."

"So, what does that mean for us?" Emily whispered, moving closer to her husband.

"It means a deliciously lazy Saturday," Spencer said. "Spent alone, in front of the fire, reading Kurt Vonnegut to each other and eating dark chocolate."

"Oh, not too much chocolate," Emily said, suddenly remembering just how much she'd indulged yesterday. "I am _trying_ to take off this extra weight."

Spencer's eyes darkened as he looked at her; with desire. "Em, I think you look _fine_ with the baby weight," he reminded. "And I just remembered why we placed mistletoe all over the house."

"Why _you_ did," Emily reminded. "And why was that?"

Spencer walked over, backing her up til she was in the doorway. "So I always had an excuse to kiss you," he whispered.

"You're my husband, you never need an excuse," Emily said.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Hotch/Blake
> 
> Date: December 27, 2014
> 
> Song: We Wish You a Merry Christmas


	27. HotchxAlex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Blake
> 
> Date: December 27, 2014
> 
> Song: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
> 
> So yes, Thomas Gibson is a year older than Jeanne Tripplehorn but Aaron Hotchner is presumably younger than Alex Blake so that's the way I'm going in this.

 

* * *

Alex Blake spent Christmas alone.

It was miserable.

The team didn't even seem to notice; not that she blamed them. She'd left the BAU to join her partner in a field of work that they both loved...it was more than most of the members could say. Only JJ, Morgan and Kate could tell tales of partners who supported them through thick and thin. Alex was one of the lucky few.

According to the team.

She'd regretted the decision the moment it was made, but James had been so insistent, and the events in May so scarring that, shaken, she'd let the decision rest, as she woke with visions of a dying Spencer Reid in her head every night.

James hadn't been understanding.

He took everything the wrong way. Little things, habits that Alex had ingrained into her from years of living without him most of the year, now poked their apparently ugly heads. He'd always known she didn't cook, but now it was a problem. Apparently the first one home was supposed to make dinner.

That wasn't something Alex had ever planned on.

And everything had just come to a standstill one day in November when she walked into James' office during his lunch hour to drop off a (bakery made) cupcake in an attempted apology after their latest fight.

Apparently James had turned to something...some _one_...else for comfort, a buxom redhead who gave blowjobs as highly rated as her IQ.

Her husband had always had a thing for women with brains. Alex had just always assumed that that was all that went into his search criteria. Apparently being stacked was too.

In the six weeks after that, Alex Blake had spent every day resisting the urge to call one person. One man.

Aaron Hotchner.

"I want to come back," she'd tell him.

But she couldn't. There was something in Alex Blake that prevented her from being so...bare in front of colleagues.

Especially such a colleague.

Alex thought of the younger man and shivered. She'd never before known men like him that she didn't hate on first sight, because most men in his position were sexist pigs.

Aaron Hotchner...there was no man like him in the world. Utterly competent. Mind blowingly handsome. Tender. Kind. Understanding.

Her boss.

Former boss.

They wouldn't be breaking any anti-fraternization rules if they got together now.

Alex slammed down the mug of coffee she was holding, startled beyond belief at her line of thought.

No. This wasn't happening. She'd put all of this behind her back in _May_. That period of her life was over. She was no longer going to lust after Aaron Hotchner.

Even if he did have brown eyes that made her love the color brown when, personally, she'd always wanted to dye her hair red, bored by the brunette coloring.

Even if he was standing outside of her classroom. On a Saturday.

What the hell?

She ran to the door, throwing it open. "Hotch?" She exclaimed, the word falling from her lips.

"I didn't think you'd be here," he returned, stepping back from the utter surprise of the door being yanked open so suddenly and Alex scolded herself for being so erratic.

What a great first impression to make on someone she hadn't seen in seven months and wanted in her bed. That is. Where did that thought come from, and why wouldn't it return to the recesses of her mind instead of being the only thought running through her brain as she looked at him?

Wait. What had he said.

"Then why did you come?" She asked, stepping back a bit.

"To leave you a present," he said softly. "I just...didn't want to bother you. I know that you left the BAU for a reason. I didn't want you to feel any...obligations."

She realized he was holding a tightly wrapped gift basket and wondered at what was inside.

"Oh," she returned. "Oh. Wow."

"How are things with you and James?" Hotch asked awkwardly. "Is it smooth sailing finally? Of course it is." He shook his head.

"Um, actually, it's not," she corrected. "I..."

Hotch glanced up as she corrected him, his eyes catching hers and he stared at her intently. "What?"

She stuttered from the intensity of his gaze. God, what he could do with his eyes.

"I...he...his office," she stumbled. "Wow."

"Wow?" He questioned.

She closed her eyes against his face and concentrated hard on her words. Good god, getting one's tongue tied up was the one thing linguistics professors should be protected against!

"He was sleeping with a student," she finally said. "I left him. Or he left me after he was discovered. He just gave up on trying to make things work."

"After everything he did to catch you again?" Hotch wondered, his tone of voice utterly disbelieving. "After making you leave your job to join him simply because he decided he was finally done living his own life? After taking you away from us simply because he was so selfish—" He broke off. "I'm sorry. I just have strong opinions on matters like these...if I'd gotten a second chance with Haley..." He trailed off. "I'm sorry, Alex."

 _Alex._ When had he ever called her that before?

"It's okay," she said simply. "I don't mind opinions. I welcome them."

She waved her hands around her as if to indicate the empty classroom. "I think I'm on the verge of being fired," she confessed. "I can't adjust to the teaching life here. I miss Georgetown. Harvard is too political for me, and that's saying something."

"I'm guessing Georgetown's politics were no small matter either," Hotch said, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown.

"They weren't, but Harvard!" Alex snorted, throwing up her hands. "I'm about done here."

"If it's bringing you down, don't wait for them to fire you," Hotch said. "Quit."

"I know," Alex sighed. "And I know that Georgetown would take me back in a heartbeat."

"So would I," Hotch said and there was jaw dropping silence in the classroom. "I'm sorry," he apologized again. "I know you don't want to come back. After everything."

"It's not even the everything that you're referring to that's keeping me from going back," Alex said in a rush, aware that her sentence made little to no sense. "That is. Hotch. I'm not _not_ going back because of what happened with Reid, though that's a huge part of it."

"Then why?" Hotch asked, brow crinkling. "Because of Kate? We could live with more than six profilers, Alex."

"No, it's..." She trailed off. "Do you honestly want me back?"

"More than you know," he said.

He thrust the gift basket at her. "I don't want to pressure you into anything," he said. "I feel like you only left in May because you were afraid that if you let it be a topic for discussion, everyone would talk you out of it."

"That's...true," she gasped, taking the basket. "Hotch. I don't want to go back because relationships between BAU members is against the rules of the FBI."

His face fell. His eyes became lifeless. "Oh. Who...I didn't know...are you and Dave seeing each other?"

"No, of course not," she said. "I was talking about possible ones."

"With who?" He asked.

Alex looked down at the gift basket. "Do you mind if I open this now?" She asked, feeling that her cheeks were heated.

"No," he said, folding his arms and making his muscles bulge.

She swallowed, feeling certain feelings ignite in her again.

Oh god. She wanted him.

There was a sprig of something tied to the basket. She felt her heart drop.

Good god.

Was that mistletoe?

Had _Aaron Hotchner_ brought her mistletoe?

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

She pulled it off, whirling around with it in her hand. "What kind of code is this supposed to be?" She asked.

"It's just a Christmassy plant," he hurried to say. "The traditional thing would be to kiss under it, wouldn't it?"

"It's you!" She exclaimed. "All you, Hotch. You are the reason I don't want to return, because my whole time at the BAU you were hot and cold and I'd think you wanted it and then you'd just talk about Beth again as if she was the love of your life!"

"She isn't, wasn't, never could be," he said, swiping a hand over his face. "I brought the mistletoe on purpose. But only because I didn't think I'd actually see you. Oh god."

She swallowed, staring at the plant in her hands.

"I didn't mean to be hot and cold, but Alex, we were both involved with other people," he said. "Why would I think you'd welcome any advances made by me?"

"I think any red blooded woman would," Alex muttered.

"What?" He wondered.

"I think it's time to stop using words, and that's painful for me, a linguist, to say," Alex stumbled. "I think it's time to just use the damn language of the flowers."

"I'm not sure mistletoe is a flower," Hotch began.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you coming under my mistletoe or not?"

He gave in, lunging across the floor in seconds to pull her into his arms. His lips descended and then everything was beautiful and good right.

And it was actually okay that her Christmas miracle happened after the fact.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Pairing: Jordan Todd/Derek Morgan
> 
> Date: December 28, 2008
> 
> Song: Merry Christmas, Darling by Lea Michele (Glee)
> 
>  
> 
> Good god, I liked this pairing a lot more than I thought I would! It was also really easy! Wow! I'm going to have to do this again.


	28. DerekxJordan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Jordan Todd/Derek Morgan
> 
> Date: December 28, 2008
> 
> Song: Merry Christmas, Darling by Lea Michele (Glee)

 

* * *

Jordan scrubbed at her eyes and looked once again at her reflection in the mirror. Damn. It was still too obvious that she'd been crying.

"Why is this so damn hard?" She muttered, scooping up a handful of cold water and pressing it to her face. "Why can't I do anything right?"

The job. It was always the job. Nothing _didn't_ circle back to the job.

"Hey, Jordan?" Emily pushed the door open to the restroom. "It's okay, you know that, right?"

"I know that everyone will live, so it's a win in my book," she sighed. "Oh god, Agent Prentiss."

"Emily," she reminded. "And Hotch isn't so bad. Not always."

"I know," Jordan said. "I mean, I can tell. He doesn't treat the rest of his team like he treats me. Not that I blame him."

"You can stop hating yourself for this now," Emily scolded. "You made a mistake. It truly does happen to the best of us."

"I wish I could believe that," Jordan stated, and grabbed her blazer off of the stall door. "Well, the case wrapped itself up without me participating or messing anything else up. Thank god for that. I'm going to wait in the SUV. Emily, if you actually do think of me as a friend..."

"What?" Emily asked gently.

"Don't follow me," Jordan said, and her voice broke as she fled the bathroom and the small town police station, emerging from the building into the cold winter air.

It stung her faces and exposes arms. "Damn," she muttered and jogged toward the cars, unlocked the first one with the set of keys she'd begged from Derek after today's happenings and jumped in, starting the car and turning the heater on.

Crap. She hadn't considered that. Now she'd probably get a scolding from Hotch on wasting department gasoline.

She didn't care. She'd take whatever now.

She leaned back in her seat and closer her eyes, pretending that all was well when it, quite simply, wasn't.

How did anyone do something so stupid?

There was a rap at the driver's door window and she cracked an eye open to see Rossi standing there. Okay, fine.

She let him in. "What do you want?" She asked.

"It wasn't your fault," he said gently.

"Someone _died_ ," Jordan stated. "And if I hadn't been there, can you honestly tell me that Casey wouldn't be alive right now?"

"I can't," Rossi said simply. "But neither can I tell you that Casey would be."

She scoffed. "That doesn't help."

"You can't dwell on what might have been, Jordan," Rossi said, almost sharply. "It's a damn fact of life and the sooner you realize that, the better. Life isn't fair. It never was, and it certainly never will be. Do you think you're the first to feel this way? Because everyone who worked that job before you has felt it too."

"Was it true then?" Jordan demanded.

"Is it true now?" Rossi countered.

"It was supposed to be Christmas," she began, and completely broke down sobbing. "I had a new job. It was cool, at least. I was doing good work. And then we got called in on a freaking _holiday_ and the first person I see, and make a connection to, ends up dead. And all because I tell her the wrong thing and she presses the wrong button on a freaking bomb."

"It wasn't a bomb," Rossi reminded. "It didn't happen that way."

"It happened like that in my mind," Jordan sobbed. "It was a simple thing. He was a simple man. All I had to tell him was that his mother loved him but I got blinded and I said the wrong thing. Next thing I know, Casey's lying at my feet and Damien Winters has to grow up without a mother."

"But he doesn't have to grow up without a father," Rossi said. "Or are you forgetting the part where the UnSub was tackled to the ground by a weaponless agent and let Forest Winters and his son escape?"

"That shouldn't have happened either," Jordan sniffled. "Why did I go in without backup?"

"It was an extremely stupid thing to do," Rossi agreed. "Sometimes we don't have backup. Sometimes we can't wait for it. Morgan should have been there, yes. Does that mean it was Morgan's fault?"

"Hell, no!" Jordan exploded. "Morgan would never let something like that happen on his watch!"

* * *

"Garcia, I blew it," Morgan confessed, his voice heavy. "I abandoned Jordan. I let her go in alone. I'm not sure she's going to ever stop blaming herself."

"Ooh, Hot Stuff, I got the gist of it from Reid, and god, it was heavy," Garcia admitted. "What happened there?"

"I thought he'd be at the next house," Morgan said. "I told her I'd be there in a minute and to radio if he was there, which I doubted. But he was."

"And everyone else was across town chasing the partner," Garcia sighed. "Babe, sometimes all we do is still not enough."

"She has every reason to hate me now," Morgan said gloomily. "I'd really started to like her, Garcia."

"Me too," Garcia told him.

"I should apologize," Morgan began.

"With flowers," Garcia shot back. "But don't rush it. She might still blame herself and you need to let her feel those feelings for a while longer."

He hung up and looked around the police station. "Hey, Deputy Carmichael, do you have any flowers around here?"

"In the station?" The young deputy asked, his face startled. "I'm sorry, Agent, but I doubt it."

"Do you have a plant I could steal?" Morgan wondered, poking around the office.

Carmichael's face lit up. "Wait a second. Left over from the Christmas party...yeah, that could work."

"What could work?" Morgan asked.

Carmichael pulled it from a drawer. "Chief made me hide it when the Feds came to town, or it'd be up until New Year's," he confessed. "It's kind of a tradition, but it's not mean or anything."

"I can believe that," Morgan said and pocketed it. "Thanks, Carmichael. This just might work."

* * *

Rossi had left Jordan in the car to finish crying, and the young agent finally got out of the SUV, heading back to the station and its warm coffee, when Morgan burst out of the building and headed for her.

"I left you without backup and there is no excuse for it," Morgan said, all in a rush. "I am so sorry, Jordan."

"It wasn't your fault," she said. "Oh god."

She felt her tears kickstarting again, and was shocked when Morgan's hand tilted her chin up. "Jordan, it's okay. I brought you this."

"What?" Jordan hiccuped. "Wait a second. Is that mistletoe?"

"I remember that brownie," Morgan whispered. "I'd really like to be the reason you get another one when we get home to DC."

Jordan started to cry again. "I'd like that too," she whispered, and he kissed her under the mistletoe.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unpopular opinion: I really liked Jordan.
> 
> Next up:
> 
> Pairing: Reid/Garcia
> 
> Date: December 29, 2014
> 
> Song: Winter Wonderland by Bill and Eloise from the movie Eloise at Christmastime and I also kind of like Charlotte Church's


	29. ReidxGarcia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Reid/Garcia
> 
> Date: December 29, 2014
> 
> Song: Winter Wonderland by Bill and Eloise from the movie Eloise at Christmastime and I also kind of like Charlotte Church's

 

* * *

Reid whistled as he walked the corridors of the BAU, holding two cups of steaming hot coffee. He wasn't sure when he'd started this tradition, but it was a nice one.

For at least six months, he'd bought Garcia coffee in the morning. Then, for the first five minutes of his shift, they'd drink together in her den and rehash yesterday's events.

Well, on the days he was there, obviously.

Today was one of the days. He passed Morgan heading into his office and called out a hello. JJ and Kate were clustered together by the elevators, talking in quiet voices and Reid waved hello to them too.

He reached Garcia's den and opened the door wide.

"I come bearing coffee for milady," he joked.

"Many thanks, milord," Garcia said, her voice distracted, and she didn't turn away from her computer screens. "I'll take it in a minute. Right now I'm on something."

"What's up, Garcia?" He asked, stepping forward to read over her shoulder at the computer, wherein read a few lines of computer coding. "What's this about?"

"I'm just updating our system before the New Year, and it's giving me hell," Garcia griped. "I don't suppose you got me a triple shot."

"I got you a bearclaw, and I think they have basically the same effect on you," Reid said, handing her the bag.

"A warm bearclaw?" Garcia breathed.

"A gluten free bearclaw," Reid countered.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, give me that bag, Doctor!"

She snatched it from him and dug into it, pulling out a warm, gooey bearclaw, taking a quick bite. "Oh, you can't even tell," she breathed. "I love the wonders of modern baking."

Reid's eyes glinted. "I know," he said, and placed his hand on her shoulder for a very brief moment before straightening. "Well, off to work go I. I'd stay and chat but Hotch is doing the year end reports and there's one with my name on it."

"Uh, make that about seven," Garcia corrected, meeting his eyes briefly over her bearclaw. "Sorry."

"It's fine," he said and left her office again.

In the bullpen, people were cheering and whistling, and Reid was shocked to see that the prank mistletoe he'd placed on Christmas Eve was still up...

And that Kate and JJ were underneath it, sharing a sweet...and not short...kiss.

Was this a thing?

The two married women pulled away from each other.

"Listen, guys, shows over," JJ announced. "Stop being pervs. It was a dare, and we took it."

She gestured to Rossi, who'd come out of his office. "Rossi, now you can go kiss Hotch to make it even."

Rossi's eyes widened imperceptibly. "I don't think so," he said. "The boss would not like."

"Who says?" Reid asked, putting his messenger bag on his desk.

"I'll kiss Reid," Rossi hedged, edging towards his office.

"Oh, never mind," Kate said and Rossi dashed inside, closing the door.

JJ looked around at the other cooing agents. "Okay, Morgan and Anderson."

They'd never seen the bullpen empty so fast. JJ burst out laughing before patting Kate on the shoulder.

"Good show," she complimented. "Who knew getting people to actually work this week would be so easy?"

"Exactly," Kate said, and the women went their opposite ways; Kate to her desk and JJ to her office.

Reid watched them go, profiling intently. Had there been something to it, even if, or especially if, Kate and JJ were ignoring it?

He decided not as he watched JJ disappear inside her office. The former media liaison had some very specific tells when she was turned on and she was displaying none of them currently.

Pity.

Reid settled in at his desk and got to work, before he was distracted by Morgan appearing at his elbow. "Hey, Reid?" Morgan said.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous to be out and about right now?" Reid asked, nodding towards the mistletoe hanging on the ceiling.

"Whatever," Morgan said. "I've got a problem. See, on this report…"

As the day went on, Reid realized that Kate wasn't concentrating on her work at all; she was, instead, staring dreamily at JJ's office.

Reid shook his head silently, hoping that the young agent didn't end up hurt. Who knew, though. Maybe it would always stay as a harmless crush.

Not that crushes were harmless.

They could be extremely debilitating. Reid knew it first hand. He knew it because of how hard his heart beat when he was around Garcia, how dry his mouth got sometimes when she was eating sweets that he brought her.

He knew it from how painfully his heart fell whenever Garcia mentioned Sam, or even Morgan as being hot; how sometimes, when Morgan and Garcia phone flirted, Reid wanted to disappear into the ground, or to kick Morgan really hard so that he could take the phone and be on the end of Garcia's sweet nothings.

Sweet everythings. He loved Penelope Garcia. She'd always accepted the smart part of him as being one of his best parts, and not a detractor from the overall package of Spencer Reid.

Reid sighed and crumpled a piece of paper up in his hands.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked him. "You totally just destroyed that report."

"What?" He startled, coming back to himself. Indeed, the report on the desk was doodled on all over and the one in his hand had been crushed into a ball.

Reid flushed and straightened it out. "I guess I'm a little distracted today."

"Well, me too, to tell you the truth," Kate sighed. "Is JJ…" Her cheeks turned bright red. "I mean, it's probably just because I've never kissed another woman before…has JJ?"

"Once or twice," Reid answered honestly.

Kate straightened. "Wait, are these things you've witnessed or estimated?"

"Both," Reid said, frowning a bit at her. "Please don't ask me questions if you're not going to the believe the answers."

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry, Reid," Kate said, flushing again. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

"I suppose not," Reid agreed and turned back to his desk.

"Who were they?" Kate suddenly whispered, after at least ten minutes had gone by.

"I don't witness or estimate and tell," Reid returned. "Get to work."

She flushed again and turned back to her reports.

Reid was in the middle of a particularly boring one when he spied Garcia walking towards the bullpen. Opportunity had finally presented itself.

He stood up and started walking as if going to Hotch's office.

Garcia entered through the glass doors and was making her way towards him.

He changed directions and met her under the mistletoe, kissing her before she could say anything or notice what was happening.

The pile of files she was holding fell to the floor in a complete mess.

Hotch came out of his office to see what the crash was. Rossi, having learned his lesson last time, didn't.

Kate almost ran to JJ's office then and there, but steeled herself.

And Garcia, after a moment of hesitation, returned Reid's kiss with a passion that almost shocked him but he should have known. Garcia always gave as good as she got.

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Gideon/Elle
> 
> Date: December 30, 2014
> 
> Song: O Tannenbaum
> 
> I think Garcia/Reid can be a really sweet pairing. It's definitely not the most shipped but that's more than okay. I think it's one of the pairings that Canon could do without it being too unbelievable or out there.


	30. GideonxElle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Gideon/Elle
> 
> Date: December 30, 2014
> 
> Song: O Tannenbaum
> 
> I didn't have Gideon so I changed my mind about Reid with Elle...I'm going to include a teensy bit with Ashley in the next chapter...while I don't hate Ashley, she's not high on my list of favorite characters and I realized I'd rather do Elle even if she might be harder to write.

 

* * *

Jason Gideon peered over his file at the woman sitting across from him in the small airplane.

Elle Greenaway. She had proved to be a good addition to the unit. He liked her.

The problem was, he liked her a little too much and Jason had never been 'that' kind of guy. He'd always gone out of his way to respect women and make sure that the workplace was safe and hassle free for them.

Elle had blown him out of the water though, with everything about her. From her quite literally saving his life the first case she worked with him, to her deducing his riddle about the footpath killer...

Well, she was amazing.

Too amazing. She'd never allow some old guy like him past her sharp defenses. She was a quiet woman, but Jason could tell that she'd had some sort of experience in the past that made her so prickly around men.

Not that she was prickly all of the time. No, no...that definitely wasn't the case. She had a good working relationship with her male coworkers, and he knew that she liked to date around.

But male UnSubs...it was like she took their offenses personally, no matter what they'd done. If their victim was a woman, she was unrelenting, unforgiving.

Jason lifted his file high again, trying not to stare at her.

* * *

It was the end of the year and Elle Greenaway couldn't wait to escape the FBI offices at Quantico. She'd even initially resisted getting in the SUV; she would have asked Morgan or Reid to handle her case file (just this one time) but Gideon's eyes on her made her take the mature route and finish the freaking job.

Gideon always seemed to have his eyes on her...or at least it felt like that...

At least she _hoped_ he did.

She wanted to impress him more than anything. She wanted him to praise her, tell her she'd done something right.

She wanted him to thank her for saving his life.

Then she wanted him to kiss her.

Love her.

Hold her close.

Elle flinched from the direction her thoughts were headed in and instead concentrated on the more physical aspect of the hypothetical relationship. He had such a sensitive manner sometimes. Even if he was harsh and brusque in daily life, she'd bet he was a gentle lover, who knew exactly what it took to pleasure women.

Elle shook her head, trying to knock the thoughts out of it. He was her superior, as he'd ever remain. And he wasn't the type to get hung up on a woman almost twenty years his junior.

No. If Gideon had a type, surely it would be a woman his age, with a gentle, nurturing manner to soothe him after an anxious and debilitating day at work.

She could never be that for someone.

She might want to but too many people had scolded her for not being gentle enough in interviews, not waiting long enough to ask questions. She _felt_ for rape victims, and other victims of any type of abuse. But because she felt for them, she got angry too easily...wanted to avenge them more than she wanted to help them heal because if there was anything that Elle Greenaway _didn't_ know how to do, it was heal.

She felt the damning truth as she mentally counted the scars on her heart, knowing that she might not ever be able to overcome them...be able to forgive the men who'd dealt them.

And the women.

A few women too.

Elle realized she was crying at her desk and quickly put a file in front of her face, but then realized she needn't have bothered. No one else was in the bullpen. Hotch's office and JJ's office were both dark. She wondered how she'd missed their departures.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Jason Gideon coming down the steps from his office. "You about ready to go, Greenaway?" He asked, his tone of voice inscrutable as always.

"Almost," she answered, forcing brightness into her voice. "I have a few more things."

"Elle," he spoke, surprising her and she made the mistake of looking up. "You've been crying."

"It's just silly things," she dismissed it all. "At the end of the year, I always make the mistake of looking back."

"Ah." He sighed and sat on the corner of her desk farthest from her. "It's always the past that makes us cry. Never the future."

"I don't know about that," Elle said, wiping her tears away.

"What's this?" Gideon asked, picking up a tissue wrapped package on her desk; tied with a red ribbon.

"It must be a late Christmas present, but I didn't notice who put it there," Elle frowned, picking it up and reading the card. "I thought you might find this useful. I found it on our latest case." She raised an eyebrow.

"Is it signed?" Gideon asked.

"No," she answered. "And it's typed, maybe for that very reason."

"Well, open it," Gideon urged but she still hesitated. "Do you think it might be private? I can go," he began and slid off the desk.

"No, I just have no idea what to expect," Elle said and wiped her eyes again. "Okay." She pulled the ribbon off and the paper fell away from it. Inside lay a delicate sprig of mistletoe. She put a hand to her cheek, feeling that she'd start crying again. What the hell was the message supposed to mean? Who the hell was it from?

Gideon was quiet, looking at her.

"It's mistletoe," Elle said, her voice dead. "Freaking _mistletoe_."

"I don't think the sender meant it as an insult," Gideon said gently. "Maybe they saw..." He trailed off. "I don't like seeing you so sad, Elle."

"I'm not sad, I'm miserable," she corrected. "Not the same thing at all."

"Stand up," he urged, and, after a beat, she did so, meeting his gaze. "Can I kiss you under the mistletoe, Elle? I think you might need it."

The mistletoe fell from her hand to the floor. She stared at him. "What?"

His eyes repeated the question and then Elle was leaning into him, letting his lips cover hers, and, for a moment, it hurt a little less. For both of them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could see this pairing. Makes me wish it showed up more. They both need healing.
> 
> Next up:
> 
> Pairing: Hotch/Morgan (I know, right?)
> 
> Date: Various dates in December and December 31, 2015
> 
> Song: Auld Lang Syne


	31. HotchXMorgan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hotch/Morgan
> 
> Date: Assorted days in December and December 31, 2015
> 
> Song: Auld Lang Syne

 

* * *

The first year it happened, it was a dare. Or not a dare. Just an accident of paths.

The mistletoe had appeared over night and Hotch and Gideon were both a little peeved, and had tried to get the damn thing down but failed.

So, in the middle of the afternoon, Elle and Reid were bored out of their minds and found themselves kissing underneath the mistletoe.

Hotch left his office to scold them, and Morgan was coming from another direction, and, suddenly, they were both standing under the mistletoe.

Elle was standing up in a minute. "You guys have to kiss, or everyone will know that you're too scared," she stated simply, hands on her hips.

"You really should," Reid said. "Otherwise, everyone will hear about this."

"Are you saying that they won't hear about it if we do?" Morgan asked, his tone of voice one of extreme doubt.

"Our lips will be sealed," Elle swore. "Now go."

Hotch held up his hands as if to block Morgan, opening his mouth to protest, but Morgan's lips fell on his anyway.

Hotch pulled back instantly. It was so short, it was barely even a kiss.

"No," he said simply and walked back to his office. "If someone doesn't get that mistletoe down…"

He left the threat hanging in the air.

* * *

The second year it happened, it almost didn't.

The mistletoe had, like last year, appeared seemingly overnight.

Prentiss seemed extremely wary of it, glancing upwards whenever she was out walking. There had been a time that JJ was walking the same path she was. It was almost hilarious to see how quickly Prentiss dodged the proverbial bullet, diving for her desk and cowering there until the media liaison had reached her office.

Hotch was also watching his step, avoiding leaving his office at all for most of the day, until they'd reached the end of it and everyone was leaving.

"Reid, I need to ask you about something on this report," Hotch said, coming into the bullpen just as Morgan stood up to go and grab his coat.

Once again, there they were, under the mistletoe.

Prentiss had a torn look on her face, as if wanting to cheer or simply disappear from sight. Reid folded his arms, watching intently.

"I won't surprise you again," Morgan muttered, stepping away. "Reid can say what you will if you really don't want to."

Hotch surprised everyone by stepping forward and pressing a feather light kiss to his subordinate's lips. "Only because of what Reid said last year is still holding."

He glared at the young man and Reid nodded frantically. "Yes, of course, Hotch."

* * *

The third year it happened, to the knowledge of the team, it didn't.

It was after hours. Hotch was staying late because Haley…was gone, so what was the fricking point of even going home?

Morgan was working overtime too, trying to finish things and just get everything done, and he'd just discovered something, a potential breakthrough on a case.

He was running to Hotch's office just as Hotch left it, and the two suddenly found themselves under the stubbornly reappearing mistletoe.

"Oh, what the hell?" Morgan growled.

"No one's around," Hotch said simply, which Morgan took to mean that they'd skip it entirely .

Instead, the Unit Chief's hand cupped his jaw and his lips met his in a moment too brief for the dark skinned agent.

He pulled away in shock, staring at the man. Was this because Haley had left? Would he do anything to get a buzz?

But Hotch was already all business again, asking about the case.

* * *

The fourth year, the team had almost forgotten the instances of the first two years because, to their knowledge, it hadn't happened the year before so the tradition was probably broken. The mistletoe appeared and Jordan Todd had stared at it for a few minutes when she came in that morning, before tentatively asking Prentiss what was up.

"It's just a silly thing someone does," Prentiss told her. "I think it just kind of appears there."

"What do you mean? Who puts it up?" Jordan asked.

Prentiss shrugged. "Probably Reid or Morgan. You can never tell."

Morgan spent the whole first day the mistletoe was up on tenterhooks, wondering if it would happen again.

Hotch didn't leave his office intentionally.

The second day it was up, there was an UnSub on a spree in Milwaukee and the team was scrambling to get ready when Morgan collided, literally, with Hotch, and in his frantic efforts to keep the man standing, shoved them under the mistletoe, which was located, as always, at the bottom of the stairs leading to the bullpen from Hotch's office.

Reid's eyebrows jumped skyhigh to see this happen again, and he turned to glance at his fellow team members as if to see if they also saw it. Rossi in particular seemed astounded, probably since he hadn't seen the previous instances. Jordan Todd was completely frozen with shock, just staring at Morgan and how close his body was to the Unit Chief's.

"Reid, I'm holding you to that promise," Hotch said and the kiss was mutual this time and lasted, maybe, just a second longer, though neither man would ever admit to it.

Prentiss peeked at them over the top of her go bag before her eyes darted away again and the whole team scrambled into motion again.

* * *

The fifth year, the whole game changed. Hotch had handed over the reins to Morgan, so to speak, and the team had forgotten the previous years in all of the commotion and confusion and utter chaos that the BAU was currently.

They were doing well with Morgan as Unit Chief, and he was adapting to the job, but there was always that _moment_ at the beginning of a case where Hotch started to lead, Morgan took it instead and the two men just stared at each other for a minute, as if relearning who exactly the man sitting across from them was.

The mistletoe appeared, as it always did, overnight.

Reid, privately, almost cried from the happiness of seeing it there. He hadn't expected it this year and his definitely misted over when he looked up one morning early in December and there it was, proudly hanging from a beam.

Prentiss' eyes softened as she looked up at it and she pulled JJ aside to comment on its reappearance.

Garcia danced underneath for a solid five minutes, baiting someone to go underneath it with her, and when Rossi, distractedly leaving his office, came within a few feet of her, she pounced quite literally.

Rossi, privately, didn't mind her taking charge of the situation in the least.

Morgan just looked up, hummed a single note and then realized that everyone in the bullpen was staring at him and quickly turned away and walked back to his office, his seldom worn suit making him stand out more than ever.

He realized, as he did work that day, that his new office made it extremely unlikely for him to have to go see Hotch. If anything, Hotch would come see him.

He felt keen disappointment and was utterly floored by it. Had he actually been looking forward to it? To kissing his boss? _His male boss?_ Derek Morgan was _straight._ No question about it.

He straightened in his seat to realize that he was thinking about it. _Really_ thinking about it. Fantasizing, really. To see Hotch become a little unraveled again. To see the Unit Chief finally lighten up a bit. To feel his lips against his own...the previous years' had been so brief, barely making contact.

He realized that he was daydreaming about a very long kiss and broke it off abruptly. He didn't know if he dared let it happen again because things were already moving too fast for him.

It was near three o'clock when Garcia burst into his office. "We've got a case; round table room ASAP," she told him. "I bet I beat JJ to texting you."

Indeed, his phone buzzed moments after Garcia appeared at the door. "You did beat her," he said and got up quickly, buttoning his suit jacket and heading after her into the bullpen.

Even on her heels, she was going at a rapid pace and she soon left him behind. He didn't watch where he was going and found himself under the mistletoe.

With Aaron Hotchner.

"I was going to tell you," Hotch stammered, his eyes unable to focus on one part of Morgan's anatomy.

"Oh, I was going to the round table room for the case," Morgan explained before wondering why he was even giving an explanation.

They both glanced up at the mistletoe as if to prove it was there before moving in and kissing.

It was as brief as before.

Morgan was disappointed.

* * *

The sixth year, Ashley Seaver took the mistletoe in stride, not even batting an eye at its appearance and the second day it was up, Emily Prentiss was cornered under the mistletoe by none other than Ashley Seaver.

Morgan was getting coffee when it happened and he almost dropped his cup when, stepping out to see why the bullpen was suddenly completely silent, he saw the two women standing there, liplocked.

Well, who was he to judge.

He'd spent the whole day waiting for Hotch to emerge from his office (thank God he was Unit Chief again) and all of his senses were on high alert. It usually happened on the first day, not the second, and he felt vaguely unsettled, as though a huge part of his routine had been thrown off by something so insignificant...

But who the hell was he kidding.

The kiss had become very significant for him.

He only wondered if Hotch felt the same.

He shrugged and left the kitchen again, going straight to his office. He didn't see Hotch.

And hours later, as he was getting ready to go, he walked to the bullpen to check on Seaver's progress on a file he'd given her. No one was in sight and he startled to hear the sound of Hotch's door opening...

The Unit Chief was striding down the stairs, his long legs making the distance between them effortless. Morgan realized he was standing under the mistletoe and sent praise to the heavens as Hotch's lips met his own in a moment that was magical it seemed completely timeless.

He'd never be able to say if the kiss was as long as he thought it was, but when they parted, Hotch's tie had been pulled off and Morgan's lips were _tingling_.

* * *

The seventh year, Prentiss and JJ restored to their ranks, there was a distinct buzz in the air as everyone went about their business.

Hotch realized, as he leaned back in his chair with a migraine, that this was the first day the mistletoe had been up and he almost fell out of his chair in surprise when he saw Morgan headed for his office.

He straightened quickly, feeling his eyes glue themselves to Morgan's figure as he approached Hotch's office door.

He heard the knock. "Come in," he said quickly.

He knew he was being ridiculous. These...emotions that he felt around Morgan only appeared around Christmastime. They probably just had to do with ridiculous sentiment and memories of previous years; that and being lonely at Christmastime.

Still, his heart skipped a beat (or several) when Morgan entered, and it thudded almost painfully as Morgan spoke, casually, about their current case.

Morgan left as quickly as he'd come and Hotch sat in his office for a long time afterward, just wondering if he was coming back, before finally standing up and buttoning his jacket.

If he was actually going to do this, surely it was time for him to actually declare things. To find out where things stood. Yes, he'd been the one to initiate things last year, but he hadn't said anything...he'd left so quickly, too quickly for Morgan to react.

He left his office just in time to see Morgan stand up Reid's desk in the bullpen.

Morgan looked up and met his gaze.

Suddenly there was no question in either man's mind.

Morgan bounded up the stairs and kissed Hotch under the mistletoe, right there in front of everyone.

* * *

The eighth year, it was back to being awkward. They'd had disagreements...over Emily leaving, over Blake being the one to replace her...the fact that Morgan hadn't been there for the hiring period still grated on the younger agent's nerves and, while Morgan liked her enough, he was still a bit wary of her.

After all, she wasn't Emily.

But, on the day the mistletoe appeared, all of those issues seemed to melt away in the face of the fact that it was that time of year again.

Hotch's arms wrapped around Morgan in a tender embrace and Morgan just wanted to the moment to last forever, mistletoe be damned.

* * *

The ninth year, Blake collided with Rossi under the mistletoe, quite literally. She twisted her ankle, and it was as Morgan inspected it for her that Hotch walked by, and stopped to see what had happened.

"What caused it?" He asked.

"Rossi saw that he was under the mistletoe and made a flying leap to get out from under it," Alex said dryly. "I had no idea what he was even doing and fell one step."

"It was instinct," Rossi protested, embarrassed beyond belief. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

As Alex and Rossi bickered, Hotch pulled Morgan aside. "Maybe it's time to stop."

"Stop what?" Morgan asked.

"Putting up the mistletoe," Hotch said. "There's not much point to it anymore, is there? We've had our fun." He felt his cheeks heat as he said the words.

"I'm not the one who puts it up," Morgan protested.

"Never mind," Hotch said, hauled Morgan under the mistletoe and kissed him deeply.

* * *

The tenth year, Callahan had no idea what on earth the mistletoe was doing up there, and was the first person in five years to try to take it down. That is, she got Reid to help her, before the two realized that they were now standing under the mistletoe and then Garcia saw them and wouldn't let it go until they kissed.

Callahan was grumpy for the rest of the day and Hotch, afraid she'd enter a report, met Morgan that day as the work day ended.

"I'm serious, Derek," he said, hauling a chair out. "It's time to get rid of it."

"Hotch, I'm not the one!" Derek exclaimed. "And you do realize that your ass looks really appealing from this angle, right?"

"Are you suggesting that I only stood on this chair in an attempt to seduce you?" Hotch asked, pausing in his attempt.

"Yeah," Morgan said, folding his arms.

Hotch got down from the chair, fully intending to chew him out, but Morgan kissed him before he could.

After that, though, Hotch got the mistletoe down and tossed it.

* * *

The eleventh year, the team waited all December for it to appear, but when Christmas had come and gone, the ceiling was still bare.

Tara Lewis had no idea what they were even looking for, and it was a huge source of confusion for her as people attempted to explain it to her.

It was New Year's Eve, and the team had been called in, late, for a case.

Everyone was grumpy that their plans had been interrupted as they filed into the bullpen on their way to the round table room, and it was then that Reid looked up.

"The mistletoe!" He exclaimed.

Everyone stared for a moment.

"It got put up after all," Garcia said, true fondness in her voice.

Everyone just stood there for a moment.

"Okay, it's time for the culprit to fess up," Rossi said. "Who puts it up? It can't be me. I wasn't even here when it started."

"True, but Gideon could have done it and told you about it and you were carrying on his prank," JJ countered but Reid shook his head.

"I don't think so," he said.

"Well, Reid is a prankster," Garcia said. "Aren't you?"

"Yes, but you are the hopeless romantic, Garcia," Reid said. "You are the more likely target."

"Well, from what I've heard it has to be Morgan," Tara said. "Right?"

Derek held up his hands. "I swear, it wasn't me."

"And Hotch always complained about it and even took it down early a few years," JJ said.

"Well, yes," Hotch agreed.

Reid got a funny look on his face as he looked up at the mistletoe. "You know, I think this may be a case where the lady, or in this case the Unit Chief, doth protest too much."

Hotch got a very strange look on his face while Reid calmly looked at him.

"It's been you all along," Reid said succinctly. "Hasn't it?"

Hotch tried to deny it but the truth will out.

"Yes," he admitted.

"You bastard," Derek complained, elbowing him. "Your damn poker face hides everything. Last year...I didn't expect a thing!"

"Well, seeing the result of the first year, why would he ever take it down?" JJ asked innocently.

The team made its way to the round table room, leaving behind only Hotch and Morgan.

"One last kiss?" Hotch asked quietly. "I won't put it up again."

"You'd better put it up again," Morgan scolded. "Every year until we die."

"You feel that strongly about it?" Hotch asked, moving closer.

"It gave me you," Morgan said simply, not caring how cliched he sounded.

And they kissed under the mistletoe.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done! This was the longest chapter and it made me hope for full length Hotch/Morgan fanfiction. All I've ever seen are one shots.
> 
> As for the last chapter, Reid picked it up and left it on Elle's desk.
> 
> Happy New Year to all! Even if you've never kept a resolution in the past, please keep trying! It could be the year that you actually manage to keep it.


End file.
